®fje  Htbrar  p 

of  rtjc 

®ntoer£ttp  of  JSortf)  Carolina 


J396  68991 

J 
Mabie 
Fairy  tales  every  child  should  know 


This  BOOK  may  be  kept  out  TWO  WEEKS 
ONLY,  and  is  subject  to  a  fine  of  FIVE 
CENTS  a  day  thereafter.  It  was  taken  out  on 
the  day  indicated  below: 


Augl7>40 
24Jul'45 


0  S "     ... 


-    IS 
2»'48 


«tn 


?  ». 


-. 


v 


^22  5C 


JUL  •  * 

Lib.  lOM-Fe  '38 


MY    8'5a 

HW  1  4  195* 
AUG  2  S  1965 


i 

MAY  i  3  797t 

hoy  j  ^ 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://www.archive.org/details/fairytaleseverycmabi 


FAIRY  TALES  EVERY 
CHILD  SHOULD  KNOW 

A  SELECTION  OF  THE  BEST  FAIRYTALES 
OF  ALL  TIMES  AND   OF  ALL  AUTHORS 


EDITED  BY 


HAMILTON  WRIGHT  MABIE 


NEW  YORK 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,  190S.  BY 
DOUBLEDAY,  PAGE   &  COMPANY 


All  rights  reserved^ 
Eluding  that  of translation  into  foreign  languor, 
9nC  S     including  the  Scandinavian. 


Librar r   '  of 

North  Caroh 
INTRODUCTION 

TO 

*   '  e     "FAIRIES  EVERY  CHILD  SHOULD  KNOW" 

The  fairy  tale  is  a  poetic  recording  of  the  facts  of 
life,  an  interpretation  by  the  imagination  of  its  hard 
conditions,  an  effort  to  reconcile  the  spirit  which 
loves  freedom  and  goodness  and  beauty  with  its 
harsh,  bare  and  disappointing  conditions.  It  is,  in 
its  earliest  form,  a  spontaneous  and  instinctive  en- 
deavor to  shape  the  facts  of  the  world  to  meet  the 
needs  of  the  imagination,  the  cravings  of  the  heart. 
It  involves  a  free,  poetic  dealing  with  realities  in 
accordance  with  the  law  of  mental  growth ;  it  is  the 
naive  activity  of  the  young  imagination  of  the  race, 
untrammelled  by  the  necessity  of  rigid  adherence 
to  the  fact. 
f  The  myths  record  the  earliest  attempt  at  an  expla- 
/  nation  of  the  world  and  its  life ;  the  fairy  tale  records 
\the  free  and  joyful  play  of  the  imagination,  opening 
doors  through  hard  conditions  to  the  spirit,  which 
craves  power,  freedom,  happiness ;  righting  wrongs 
and  redressing  injuries;  defeating  base  designs;  re- 
warding patience  and  virtue ;  crowning  true  love 
with  happiness ;  placing  the  powers  of  darkness 
under  the  control  of  man  and  making  their  ministers 
his  servants.  In  the  fairy  story,  men  are  not  set 
entirely  free  from  their  limitations,  but,  by  the  aid 
of  fairies,  genii,  giants  and  demons,  they  are  put 


vi  Introduction 

in  command  of  unusual  powers  and  make  themselves 
masters  of  the  forces  of  nature. 

The  oldest  fairy  stories  constitute  a  fascinating 
introduction  to  the  book  of  modern  science,  curi- 
ously predicting  its  discoveries,  its  uncovering  of  the 
resources  of  the  earth  and  air,  its  growing  control  of 
the  tremendous  forces  which  work  in  earth  and  air. 
And  it  is  significant  that  the  recent  progress  of 
science  is  steadily  toward  what  our  ancestors  would 
have  considered  fairy  land ;  for  in  all  the  imaginings 
of  the  childhood  of  the  race  there  was  nothing  more 
marvellous  or  more  audaciously  improbable  than  the 
transmission  of  the  accents  and  modulations  of 
familiar  voices  through  long  distances,  and  the 
power  of  communication  across  leagues  of  sea  with- 
out mechanical  connections  of  any  kind. 

The  faculty  which  created  the  fairy  tale  is  the 
same  faculty  which,  supplemented  by  a  broader  ob- 
servation and  based  on  more  accurate  knowledge, 
has  broadened  the  range  and  activities  of  modern 
man,  made  the  world  accessible  to  him,  enabled  him 
to  live  in  one  place  but  to  speak  and  act  in  places 
thousands  of  miles  distant,  given  him  command  of 
colossal  forces,  and  is  fast  making  him  rich  on  a 
scale  which  would  have  seemed  incredible  to  men 
of  a  half-century  ago.  There  is  nothing  in  any 
fairy  tale  more  marvellous  and  inherently  improba- 
ble than  many  of  the  achievements  of  scientific 
observation  and  invention,  and  we  are  only  at  the 
beginning  of  the  wonders  that  lie  within  the  reach 
of  the  human  spirit  I 

No  one  can  understand  the  modern  world  with- 


Introduction  vii 

out  the  aid  of  the  imagination,  and  as  the  frontiers 
of  knowledge  are  pushed  still  further  away  from 
the  obvious  and  familiar,  there  will  be  an  increasing 
tax  on  the  imagination.  The  world  of  dead  matter 
which  our  fathers  thought  they  understood  has  be- 
come a  world  of  subtle  forces  moving  with  incon- 
ceivable velocity;  nothing  is  inert,  all  things  are 
transformed  into  other  and  more  elusive  shapes  pre- 
cisely as  the  makers  of  the  fairy  tales  foresaw  and 
predicted;  the  world  lives  in  every  atom  just  as 
their  world  lived;  forces  lie  just  outside  the  range 
of  physical  sight,  but  entirely  within  the  range  of 
spiritual  vision,  precisely  as  the  tellers  of  these  old 
stories  divined;  mystery  and  wonder  enfold  all 
things,  and  not  only  evoke  the  full  play  of  the  mind, 
but  flood  it  with  intimations  and  suggestions  of  the 
presence  of  more  elusive  and  subtle  forces,  of  finer 
and  more  obedient  powers,  as  the  world  of  fairies, 
magi  and  demons  enfolded  the  ancient  earth  of 
daily  toil  and  danger. 

In  a  word,  the  fairy  stories  have  come  true ;  they 
are  historical  in  the  sense  that  they  faithfully  report 
a  stage  of  spiritual  growth  and  predict  a  higher 
order  of  realities  through  a  deeper  knowledge  of 
actualities.  They  were  poetic  renderings  of  facts 
which  science  is  fast  verifying,  chiefly  by  the  use  of 
the  same  faculty  which  enriched  early  literature  with 
the  myth  and  the  fairy  tale.  The  scientist  has  turned 
poet  in  these  later  days,  and  the  imagination  which 
once  expressed  itself  in  a  free  handling  of  facts  so 
as  to  make  them  answer  the  needs  and  demands  of 
the   human    spirit,    now    expresses    itself    in    that 


viii  Introduction 

breadth  of  vision  which  reconstructs  an  extinct 
animal  from  a  bone  and  analyzes  the  light  of  a  sun 
flaming  on  the  outermost  boundaries  of  space. 

This  collection  of  tales,  gathered  from  the  rich 
literature  of  the  childhood  of  the  world,  or  from  the 
books  of  the  few  modern  men  who  have  found  the 
key  of  that  wonderful  world,  is  put  forth  not  only 
without  apology,  but  with  the  hope  that  it  may 
widen  the  demand  for  these  charming  reports  of  a 
world  in  which  the  truths  of  our  working  world 
are  loyally  upheld,  while  its  hard  facts  are  quietly 
but  authoritatively  dismissed  from  attention.  The 
widest  interpretation  has  been  given  to  the  fairy 
tale,  so  as  to  include  many  of  those  classic  romances 
of  childhood  in  which  no  fairy  appears,  but  which 
are  invested  with  the  air  and  are  permeated  with 
the  glorious  freedom  of  fairy  land. 

No  sane  man  or  woman  undervalues  the  immense 
gains  of  the  modern  world  in  the  knowledge  of  facts 
and  the  application  of  ideas  to  things  in  order  to 
secure  comfort,  health,  access  to  the  treasure  in  the 
earth  and  on  its  surface,  the  means  of  education 
and  greater  freedom  from  the  tyranny  of  toil  by  the 
accumulation  of  the  fruits  of  toil ;  but  no  sane  man 
or  woman  believes  that  a  mechanical  age  is  other 
than  a  transitional  age,  that  the  possession  of  things 
is  the  final  achievement  of  society,  and  that  in  multi- 
plication of  conveniences  civilization  will  reach  its 
point  of  culmination. 

We  are  so  engrossed  in  getting  rich  that  we  for- 
get that  by  and  by,  when  we  have  become  rich,  we 
shall  have  to  learn  how  to  live ;  for  work  can  never 


Introduction  ix 

be  an  end  in  itself ;  it  is  a  "  means  of  grace  "  when 
it  is  not  drudgery ;  and  it  must,  in  the  long  run,  be 
a  preparation  for  play.  For  play  is  not  organized 
idleness,  frivolity  set  in  a  fanciful  order;  it  is  the 
normal,  spontaneous  exercise  of  physical  activity, 
the  wholesome  gayety  of  the  mind,  the  natu- 
ral expression  of  the  spirit,  without  self-con- 
sciousness, constraint,  or  the  tyranny  of  hours  and 
tasks.  It  is  the  highest  form  of  energy,  because 
it  is  free  and  creative ;  a  joy  in  itself,  and  therefore 
a  joy  in  the  world.  This  is  the  explanation  of  the 
sense  of  freedom  and  elation  which  come  from  a 
great  work  of  art;  it  is  the  instinctive  perception  of 
the  fact  that  while  immense  toil  lies  behind  the 
artist's  skill,  the  soul  of  the  creation  came  from  be- 
yond the  world  of  work  and  the  making  of  it  was  a 
bit  of  play.  The  man  of  creative  spirit  is  often  a 
tireless  worker,  but  in  his  happiest  hours  he  is  at 
play;  for  all  work,  when  it  rises  into  freedom  and 
power,  is  play.  "  We  work,"  wrote  a  Greek  thinker 
of  the  most  creative  people  who  have  yet  appeared, 
"  hi  order  that  we  may  have  leisure."  The  note  of 
that  life  was  freedom ;  its  activity  was  not  "  evoked 
by  external  needs,  but  was  free,  spontaneous  and  de- 
lightful ;  an  ordered  energy  which  stimulates  all  the 
vital  and  mental  powers." 

Robert  Louis  Stevenson,  who  knew  well  how  to 
touch  work  with  the  spirit  and  charm  of  play,  re- 
ports of  certain  evenings  spent  at  a  clubhouse  near 
Brussels,  that  the  men  who  gathered  there  "  were 
employed  over  the  frivolous  mercantile  concerns  of 
Belgium  during  the  day;  but  in  the  evening  they 


x  Introduction 

found  some  hours  for  the  serious  concerns  of  life." 
They  gave  their  days  to  commerce,  but  their  even- 
ings were  devoted  to  more  important  interests ! 

These  words  are  written  for  those  older  people 
who  have  made  the  mistake  of  straying  away  from 
childhood;  children  do  not  read  introductions,  be- 
cause they  know  that  the  valuable  part  of  the  boo'- 
is  to  be  found  in  the  later  pages.  They  read  the 
stories;  their  elders  read  the  introduction  as  well. 
They  both  need  the  stuff  of  imagination,  of  which 
myths,  legends,  and  fairy  tales  are  made.  So  much 
may  be  said  of  these  old  stories  that  it  is  a  serious 
question  where  to  begin,  and  a  still  more  difficult 
question  where  to  end.  For  these  tales  are  the  first 
outpourings  of  that  spring  of  imagination  whence 
flow  the  most  illuminating,  inspiring,  refreshing  and 
captivating  thoughts  and  ideas  about  life.  No 
philosophy  is  deeper  than  that  which  underlies 
these  stories ;  no  psychology  is  more  important  than 
that  which  finds  its  choicest  illustration  in  them; 
no  chapter  in  the  history  of  thought  is  more  sug- 
gestive and  engrossing  than  that  which  records 
their  growth  and  divines  their  meaning.  Fairy  tales 
and  myths  are  so  much  akin  that  they  are  easily 
transformed  and  exchange  costumes  without  chang- 
ing character;  while  the  legend,  which  belongs  to  a 
later  period,  often  reflects  the  large  meaning  of  the 
myth  and  the  free  fancy  of  the  fairy  tale. 

As  a  class,  children  not  only  possess  the  faculty 
of  imagination,  but  are  very  largely  occupied  with 
it  during  the  most  sensitive  and  formative  years, 
and  those  who  lack  it  are  brought  under  its  spell  by 


Introduction  xi 

their  fellows.  They  do  not  accurately  distinguish 
between  the  actual  and  the  imaginary,  and  they  live 
at  ease  in  a  world  out  of  which  paths  run  in  every 
direction  into  wonderland.  They  begin  their  educa- 
tion when  they  begin  to  play ;  for  play  not  only 
affords  an  outlet  for  their  energy,  and  so  supplies 
one  great  means  of  growth  and  training,  but  places 
them  in  social  relations  with  their  mates  and  in  con- 
scious contact  with  the  world  about  them.  The  old 
games  that  have  been  played  by  generations  of  chil- 
dren not  only  precede  the  training  of  the  school 
and  supplement  it,  but  accomplish  some  results  in 
the  nature  of  the  child  which  are  beyond  the  reach 
of  the  school.  When  a  crowd  of  boys  are  rushing 
across  country  in  "  hounds  and  deer,"  they  are 
giving  lungs,  heart  and  muscles  the  best  possible 
exercise;  they  are  sharing  certain  rules  of  honor 
with  one  another,  expressed  in  that  significant 
phrase,  "  fair  play  " ;  and  they  are  giving  rein  to 
their  imaginations  in  the  very  name  of  their  occu- 
pation. Body,  spirit  and  imagination  have  their  part 
in  every  good  game ;  for  the  interest  of  a  game  lies 
in  its  appeal  to  the  imagination,  as  in  "  hounds  and 
deer,"  or  in  its  stimulus  to  activity,  as  in  "  tag  "  and 
"  hide-and-seek." 

There  are  few  chapters  in  the  biography  of  the 
childhood  of  men  of  genius  more  significant  than 
those  which  describe  imaginary  worlds  which  were, 
for  a  time,  as  real  as  the  actual  world  in  which  the 
boy  lived.  Goethe  entertained  and  mystified  his 
playmates  with  accounts  of  a  certain  garden  in 
which  he  wandered  at  will,  but  which  they  could 


Kit  Introduction 

not  find;  and  De  Quincey  created  a  kingdom,  with 
all  its  complex  relations  and  varied  activities,  which 
he  ruled  with  beneficence  and  affection  until,  in  an 
unlucky  hour,  he  revealed  his  secret  to  his  brother, 
who  straightway  usurped  his  authority,  and  gov- 
erned his  subjects  with  such  tyranny  and  cruelty 
that  De  Quincey  was  compelled  to  save  his  people 
by  destroying  them. 

These  elaborate  and  highly  organized  efforts  of 
the  young  imagination,  of  which  boys  and  girls  of 
unusual  inventiveness  are  capable,  are  imitated  on 
a  smaller  scale  by  all  normal  children.  They  endow 
inanimate  things  with  life,  and  play  and  suffer  with 
them  as  with  their  real  playmates.  The  little  girl 
not  only  talks  with  her  dolls,  but  weeps  with  and  for 
them  when  disaster  overtakes  them.  The  boy  faces 
foes  of  his  own  making  in  the  woods,  or  at  lonely 
places  in  the  road,  who  are  quite  as  real  to  him  as  the 
people  with  whom  he  lives.  By  common  agreement 
a  locality  often  becomes  a  historic  spot  to  a  whole 
group  of  boys ;  enemies  are  met  and  overcome  there ; 
grave  perils  are  bravely  faced ;  and  the  magic  some- 
times lingers  long  after  the  dream  has  been  dis- 
solved in  the  dawning  light  of  definite  knowledge. 
Childhood  is  one  long  day  of  discovery ;  first,  to  the 
unfolding  spirit,  there  is  revealed  a  wonderland 
partly  actual  and  partly  created  by  the  action  of  the 
mind;  then  follows  the  slow  awakening,  when  the 
growing  boy  or  girl  learns  to  distinguish  between 
fact  and  fancy,  and  to  separate  the  real  from  the 
imaginary. 

This  process  of  learning  to  "  see  things  as  they 


Introduction  xiii 

are  "  is  often  regarded  as  the  substance  of  education, 
and  to  be  able  to  distinguish  sharply  and  accurately 
between  reality  and  vision,  actual  and  imaginary 
image  is  accepted  as  the  test  of  thorough  training 
of  the  intelligence.  What  really  takes  place  is  the 
readjustment  of  the  work  of  the  faculties  so  as  to 
secure  harmonious  action ;  and  in  the  happy  and 
sound  development  of  the  nature  the  imagination 
does  not  give  place  to  observation,  but  deals  with 
principles,  forces  and  laws  instead  of  with  things. 
The  loss  of  vision  is  never  compensated  for  by  the 
gain  of  sight ;  to  see  a  thing  one  must  use  his  mind 
quite  as  much  as  his  eye.  It  too  often  happens,  as 
the  result  of  our  educational  methods,  that  in  train- 
ing the  observer  we  blight  the  poet;  and  the  poet 
is,  after  all,  the  most  important  person  in  society. 
He  keeps  the  soul  of  his  fellows  alive.  Without  him 
the  modern  world  would  become  one  vast,  dreary, 
soul-destroying  Coketown,  and  man  would  sink  to 
the  level  of  Gradgrind.  The  practical  man  de- 
velops the  resources  of  the  country,  the  man  of 
vision  discerns,  formulates  and  directs  its  spiritual 
policy  and  growth;  the  mechanic  builds  the  house, 
but  the  architect  creates  it;  the  artisan  makes  the 
tools,  but  the  artist  uses  them ;  the  observer  sees  and 
records  the  fact,  but  the  scientist  discovers  the  law ; 
the  man  of  affairs  manages  the  practical  concerns 
of  the  world  from  day  to  day,  but  the  poet  makes  it 
spiritual,  significant,  interesting,  worth  living  in. 

The  modern  child  passes  through  the  same  stages 
as  did  the  children  of  four  thousand  years  ago.  He, 
too,  is  a  poet.    He  believes  that  the  world  about  him 


xiv  Introduction 

throbs  with  life  and  is  peopled  with  all  manner  of 
strange,  beautiful,  powerful  folk,  who  live  just  out- 
side the  range  of  his  sight ;  he,  too,  personifies  light 
and  heat  and  storm  and  wind  and  cold  as  his  re- 
mote ancestors  did.  He,  too,  lives  in  and  through 
his  imagination;  and  if,  in  later  life,  he  grows  in 
power  and  becomes  a  creative  man,  his  achievements 
are  the  fruits  of  the  free  and  vigorous  life  of  his 
imagination.  The  higher  kinds  of  power,  the  higher 
opportunities  of  mind,  the  richer  resources,  the 
springs  of  the  deeper  happiness,  are  open  to  him  in 
the  exact  degree  in  which  he  is  able  to  use  his  im- 
agination with  individual  freedom  and  intelligence. 
Formal  education  makes  small  provision  for  this 
great  need  of  his  nature ;  it  trains  his  eye,  his  hand, 
his  faculty  of  observation,  his  ability  to  reason,  his 
capacity  for  resolute  action;  but  it  takes  little  ac- 
count of  that  higher  faculty  which,  cooperating  with 
the  other  faculties,  makes  him  an  architect  instead  of 
a  builder,  an  artist  instead  of  an  artisan,  a  poet  in- 
stead of  a  drudge. 

The  fairy  tale  belongs  to  the  child  and  ought  al- 
ways to  be  within  his  reach,  not  only  because  it  is  his 
special  literary  form  and  his  nature  craves  it,  but 
because  it  is  one  of  the  most  vital  of  the  textbooks 
offered  to  him  in  the  school  of  life.  In  ultimate  im- 
portance it  outranks  the  arithmetic,  the  grammar, 
the  geography,  the  manuals  of  science;  for  without 
the  aid  of  the  imagination  none  of  these  books  is 
really  comprehensible. 

Hamilton  Wright  Mabie. 

March,  1905. 


CONTENTS 

TO 

"FAIRY  TALES  EVERY  CHILD  SHOULD  KNOW  " 

PAGE 

Introduction v 

•  >One  Eye,  Two  Eyes,  Three  Eyes i 

(Grimm's  Fairy  Tales) 

'    The  Magic  Mirror n 

(Grimm's  Fairy  Tales) 

P  The  Enchanted  Stag 26 

(Grimm's  Fairy  Tales) 

•Hansel  and  Grethel 35 

(Grimm's  Fairy  Tales) 

^The  Story  of  Aladdin  ;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp  .      48 

("  Arabian  Nights'  Entertainments  ") 

The  History  of  Ali  Baba,  and  of  the  Forty  Rob- 
bers Killed  by  One  Slave 109 

("  Arabian  Nights'  Entertainments  ") 

v  The  Second  Voyage  of  Sindbad  the  Sailor      .       .     140 

("  Arabian  Nights'  Entertainments  ") 

,-r  The  White  Cat      .       .       ^^ 147 

(From  the  tale  by  the  Comtesse  d'Aulnoy) 

The  Golden  Goose 166 

(Grimm's  Fairy  Tales) 

The  Twelve  Brothers  :--• 173 

(Grimm's  Fairy  Tales) 

■  The  Fair  One  with  the  Golden  Locks      .       .       .     180 

(From  the  tale  by  the  Comtesse  d'Aulnoy) 

pToH  Thumb 195 

(First  written  in  prose  in   1621   by  Richard  Johnson) 

v'  Blue  Beard 204 

(From  the  French  tale  by  Charles  Perrault) 


\ 


CONTENTS— Continued 

PAGE 

*  Cinderella  ;  or,  The  Little  Glass  Slipper  .       .       .    212 

(From  the  French  tale  by  Charles  Perrault) 

'   Puss  in  Boots 222 

.    (Ff"om  the  French  tale  by  Charles  Perrault) 

The  Sleeping  Beauty  in  the  Wood   ....     229 

(From  the  French  tale  by  Charles  Perrault) 

Jack  and  the  Bean-Stalk 236 

(Said  to  be  an  allegory  of  the  Teutonic  Al-fader.     The  tale 
is  also  written  in  French  by  Charles  Perrault) 

*  Jack  the  Giant  Killer 254 

(From   the   old    British   legend   told   by    Geoffrey   of   Mon- 
mouth,  of  Corineus   the   Trojan) 

S%  Little  Red  Riding   Hood 273 

(From  the  French  tale  by  Charles  Perrault) 

•The  Three  Bears 276 

(Robert  Southey) 

L-'ic  The  Princess  on  the  Pea 279 

(From  the  tale  by  Hans  Christian  Andersen) 

l'The  Ugly  Duckling    ........    281 

(From  the  tale  by  Hans  Christian  Andersen) 

The  Light   Princess 294 

(George  MacDonald) 

Beauty  and  the  Beast 352 

(From  the  French  tale  by  Madame  Gabrielle  de  Villeneuve) 


Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 


i 


/ 


FAIRY    TALES     EVERY    CHILD 
SHOULD     KNOW 

CHAPTER   I 

ONE   EYE,    TWO    EYES,   THREE    EYES 

There  was  once  a  woman  who  had  three  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  the  eldest  was  named  "  One  Eye,"  be- 
cause she  had  only  one  eye  in  the  middle  of  her  fore- 
head. The  second  had  two  eyes,  like  other  people, 
and  she  was  called  "  Two  Eyes."  The  youngest  had 
three  eyes,  two  like  her  second  sister,  and  one  in  the 
middle  of  her  forehead,  like  the  eldest,  and  she  bore 
the  name  of  "  Three  Eyes." 

Now  because  little  Two  Eyes  looked  just  like 
other  people,  her  mother  and  sisters  could  not  en- 
dure her.  They  said  to  her,  "  You  are  not  better 
than  common  folks,  with  your  two  eyes;  you  don't 
belong  to  us." 

So  they  pushed  her  about,  and  threw  all  their  old 
clothes  to  her  for  her  to  wear,  and  gave  her  only 
the  pieces  that  were  left  to  eat,  and  did  everything 
that  they  could  to  make  her  miserable.  It  so  hap- 
pened that  little  Two  Eyes  was  sent  into  the  fields 
to  take  care  of  the  goats,  and  she  was  often  very 
hungry,  although  her  sisters  had  as  much  as  they 
liked  to  eat.  So  one  day  she  seated  herself  on  a 
mound  in  the  field,  and  began  to  weep  and  cry  so 
bitterly  that  two  little  rivulets  flowed  from  her  eves. 


2         Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Once,  in  the  midst  of  her  sorrow  she  looked  up,  and 
saw  a  woman  standing  near  her  who  said,  "  What 
are  you  weeping  for,  little  Two  Eyes?" 

"  I  cannot  help  weeping,"  she  replied ;  "  for  be- 
cause I  have  two  eyes,  like  other  people,  my  mother 
and  sisters  cannot  bear  me ;  they  push  me  about 
from  one  corner  to  another  and  make  we  wear  their 
old  clothes,  and  give  me  nothing  to  eat  but  what  is 
left,  so  that  I  am  always  hungry.  To-day  they  gave 
me  so  little  that  I  am  nearly  starved." 

"  Dry  up  your  tears,  little  Two  Eyes,"  said  the 
wise  woman ;  "  I  will  tell  you  something  to  do 
which  will  prevent  you  from  ever  being  hungry 
again.    You  have  only  to  say  to  your  own  goat : 

"  '  Little  goat,  if  you're  able, 
Pray  deck  out  my  table,' 

and  immediately  there  will  be  a  pretty  little  table 
before  you  full  of  all  sorts  of  good  things  for  you 
to  eat,  as  much  as  you  like.  And  when  you  have 
had  enough,  and  you  do  not  want  the  table  any 
more,  you  need  only  say : 

"  '  Little  goat,  when  you're  able, 
Remove  my  nice  table,' 

and  it  will  vanish  from  your  eyes." 

Then  the  wise  woman  went  away.  "  Now," 
thought  little  Two  Eyes,  "  I  will  try  if  what  she 
says  is  true,  for  I  am  very  hungry,"  so  she  said: 

"  Little  goat,  if  you're  able, 
Pray  deck  out  my  table." 

The  words  were  scarcely  spoken,  when  a  beauti- 


One  Eye,  Two  Eyes,  Three  Eyes  3 

ful  little  table  stood  really  before  her ;  it  had  a  white 
cloth  and  plates,  and  knives  and  forks,  and  silver 
spoons,  and  such  a  delicious  dinner,  smoking-  hot 
as  if  it  had  just  come  from  the  kitchen.  Then  little 
Two  Eyes  sat  down  and  said  the  shortest  grace  she 
knew — "  Pray  God  be  our  guest  for  all  time. 
Amen  " — before  she  allowed  herself  to  taste  any- 
thing. But  oh,  how  she  did  enjoy  her  dinner!  and 
when  she  had  finished,  she  said,  as  the  wise  woman 
had  taught  her: 

"  Little  goat,  when  you're  able, 
Remove  my  nice  table." 

In  a  moment,  the  table  and  everything  upon  it  had 
disappeared.  "  That  is  a  pleasant  way  to  keep 
house,"  said  little  Two  Eyes,  and  felt  quite  con- 
tented and  happy.  In  the  evening,  when  she  went 
home  with  the  goat,  she  found  an  earthenware  dish 
with  some  scraps  which  her  sisters  had  left  for  her, 
but  she  did  not  touch  them.  The  next  morning  she 
went  away  with  the  goat,  leaving  them  behind 
where  they  had  been  placed  for  her.  The  first  and 
second  times  that  she  did  so,  the  sisters  did  not 
notice  it;  but  when  they  found  it  happened  every 
day,  they  said  one  to  the  other,  "  There  is  something- 
strange  about  little  Two  Eyes,  she  leaves  her  sup 
per  every  day,  and  all  that  has  been  put  for  her  has 
been  wasted ;  she  must  get  food  somewhere  else." 

So  they  determined  to  find  out  the  truth,  and  they 
arranged  that  when  Two  Eyes  took  her  goat  to  the 
field,  One  Eye  should  go  with  her  to  take  particular 
notice  of  what  she  did,  and  discover  if  anything" 
was  brought  for  her  to  eat  and  drink. 


4        Fairy  Talcs  Every  Child  Should  Know 

So  when  Two  Eyes  started  with  her  goat,  One 
Eye  said  to  her,  "  I  am  going  with  you  to-day  to 
see  if  the  goat  gets  her  food  properly  while  you  are 
watching  the  rest." 

But  Two  Eyes  knew  what  she  had  in  her  mind. 
So  she  drove  the  goat  into  the  long  grass,  and  said, 
"  Come,  One  Eye,  let  us  sit  down  here  and  rest,  and 
I  will  sing  to  you." 

One  Eye  seated  herself,  and,  not  being  accus- 
tomed to  walk  so  far,  or  to  be  out  in  the  heat  of 
the  sun,  she  began  to  feel  tired,  and  as  little  Two 
Eyes  kept  on  singing,  she  closed  her  one  eye  and 
fell  fast  asleep. 

When  Two  Eyes  saw  this,  she  knew  that  One 
Eye  could  not  betray  her,  so  she  said : 

"  Little  goat,  if  you  are  able, 
Come  and  deck  my  pretty  table." 

She  seated  herself  when  it  appeared,  and  ate  and 
drank  very  quickly,  and  when  she  had  finished  she 
said: 

"  Little  goat,  when  you  are  able, 
Come  and  clear  away  my  table." 

It  vanished  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye;  and  then 
Two  Eyes  woke  up  One  Eye,  and  said,  "  Little  One 
Eye,  you  are  a  clever  one  to  watch  goats ;  for,  while 
you  are  asleep,  they  might  be  running  all  over  the 
world.    Come,  let  us  go  home !  " 

So  they  went  to  the  house,  and  little  Two  Eyes 
again  left  the  scraps  on  the  dish  untouched,  and 
One  Eye  could  not  tell  her  mother  whether  little 
Two  Eyes  had  eaten  anything  in  the  field;  for  she 
said  to  excuse  herself,  "  I  was  asleep." 


One  Eye,  Two  Eyes,  Three  Eyes  5 

The  next  day  the  mother  said  to  Three  Eyes, 
"  You  must  go  to  the  field  this  time,  and  find  out 
whether  there  is  anyone  who  brings  food  to  little 
Two  Eyes ;  for  she  must  eat  and  drink  secretly." 

So  when  little  Two  Eyes  started  with  her  goat, 
Three  Eyes  followed,  and  said,  "  I  am  going  with 
you  to-day,  to  see  if  the  goats  are  properly  fed  and 
watched." 

But  Two  Eyes  knew  her  thoughts ;  so  she  led  the 
goat  through  the  long  grass  to  tire  Three  Eyes,  and 
at  last  she  said,  "  Let  us  sit  down  here  and  rest, 
and  I  will  sing  to  you,  Three  Eyes." 

She  was  glad  to  sit  down,  for  the  walk  and  the 
heat  of  the  sun  had  really  tired  her ;  and,  as  her 
sister  continued  her  song,  she  was  obliged  to  close 
two  of  her  eyes,  and  they  slept,  but  not  the  third. 
In  fact,  Three  Eyes  was  wide  awake  with  one  eye, 
and  heard  and  saw  all  that  Two  Eyes  did ;  for  poor 
little  Two  Eyes,  thinking  she  was  asleep,  said  her 
speech  to  the  goat,  and  the  table  came  with  all  the 
good  things  on  it,  and  was  carried  away  when  Two 
Eyes  had  eaten  enough ;  and  the  cunning  Three 
Eyes  saw  it  all  with  her  one  eye.  But  she  pre- 
tended to  be  asleep  when  her  sister  came  to  wake 
her  and  told  her  she  was  going  home. 

That  evening,  when  little  Two  Eyes  again  left 
the  supper  they  placed  aside  for  her,  Three  Eyes 
said  to  her  mother,  "  I  know  where  the  proud  thing 
gets  her  good  eating  and  drinking ; "  and  then  she 
described  all  she  had  seen  in  the  field.  "  I  saw  it 
all  with  one  eye,"  she  said ;  "  for  she  had  made  my 
other  two  eyes  close  with  her  fine  singing,  but 
luckily  the  one  in  my  forehead  remained  open." 


6        Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Then  the  envious  mother  cried  out  to  poor  little 
Two  Eyes,  "  You  wish  to  have  better  food  than  we, 
do  you  ?  You  shall  lose  your  wish !  "  She  took  up 
a  butcher's  knife,  went  out,  and  stuck  the  good 
little  goat  in  the  heart,  and  it  fell  dead. 

When  little  Two  Eyes  saw  this,  she  went  out  into 
the  field,  seated  herself  on  a  mound,  and  wept  most 
bitter  tears. 

Presently  the  wise  woman  stood  again  before  her, 
and  said,  "  Little  Two  Eyes,  why  do  you  weep  ?  " 

"  Ah !  "  she  replied,  "  I  must  weep.  The  goat, 
who  every  day  spread  my  table  so  beautifully,  has 
been  killed  by  my  mother,  and  I  shall  have  again  to 
suffer  from  hunger  and  sorrow." 

"  Little  Two  Eyes,"  said  the  wise  woman,  "  I 
will  give  you  some  good  advice.  Go  home,  and  ask 
your  sister  to  give  you  the  inside  of  the  slaughtered 
goat,  and  then  go  and  bury  it  in  the  ground  in  front 
of  the  house-door." 

On  saying  this  the  wise  woman  vanished. 

Little  Two  Eyes  went  home  quickly,  and  said  to 
her  sister,  "  Dear  sister,  give  me  some  part  of  my 
poor  goat.  I  don't  want  anything  valuable;  only 
give  me  the  inside." 

Her  sister  laughed,  and  said,  "  Of  course  you  can 
have  that,  if  you  don't  want  anything  else." 

So  little  Two  Eyes  took  the  inside;  and  in  the 
evening,  when  all  was  quiet,  buried  it  in  the  ground 
outside  the  house-door,  as  the  wise  womgn  had  told 
her  to  do. 

The  next  morning,  when  they  all  rose  and  looked 
out  of  the  window,  there  stood  a  most  wonderful 
tree,  with  leaves  of  silver  and  apples  of  gold  hang- 


One  Eye,  Tzvo  Eyes,  Three  Eyes  7 

ing  between  them.  Nothing  in  the  wide  world 
could  be  more  beautiful  or  more  costly.  They  none 
of  them  knew  how  the  tree  could  come  there  in  one 
night,  excepting  little  Two  Eyes.  She  supposed  it 
had  grown  up  from  the  inside  of  the  goat;  for  it 
stood  over  where  she  had  buried  it  in  the  earth. 

Then  said  the  mother  to  little  One  Eye,  "  Climb 
up,  my  child,  and  break  off  some  of  the  fruit  from 
the  tree." 

One  Eye  climbed  up,  but  when  she  tried  to  catch 
a  branch  and  pluck  one  of  the  apples,  it  escaped 
from  her  hand,  and  so  it  happened  every  time  she 
made  the  attempt,  and,  do  what  she  would,  she 
could  not  reach  one. 

"  Three  Eyes,"  said  the  mother,  "  climb  up,  and 
try  what  you  can  do;  perhaps  you  will  be  able  to 
see  better  with  your  three  eyes  than  One  Eye  can." 

One  Eye  slid  down  from  the  tree,  and  Three  Eyes 
climbed  up.  But  Three  Eyes  was  not  more  skilful ; 
with  all  her  efforts  she  could  not  draw  the  branches, 
nor  the  fruit,  near  enough  to  pluck  even  a  leaf,  for 
they  sprang  back  as  she  put  out  her  hand. 

At  last  the  mother  was  impatient,  and  climbed  up 
herself,  but  with  no  more  success,  for,  as  she  ap- 
peared to  grasp  a  branch,  or  fruit,  her  hand  closed 
upon  thin  air. 

"  May  I  try  ?  "  said  little  Two  Eyes ;  "  perhaps  I 
may  succeed." 

"  You,  indeed !  "  cried  her  sisters ;  "  you,  with 
your  two  eyes,  what  can  you  do  ?  " 

But  Two  Eyes  climbed  up,  and  the  golden  apples 
did  not  fly  back  from  her  when  she  touched  them, 
but  almost  laid  themselves  on  her  hand,  and  she 


8        Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

plucked  them  one  after  another,  till  she  carried 
down  her  own  little  apron  full. 

The  mother  took  them  from  her,  and  gave  them 
to  her  sisters,  as  she  said  little  Two  Eyes  did  not 
handle  them  properly ;  but  this  was  only  from  jeal- 
ousy, because  little  Two  Eyes  was  the  only  one  who 
could  reach  the  fruit,  and  she  went  into  the  house 
feeling  more  spiteful  to  her  than  ever. 

It  happened  that  while  all  three  sisters  were 
standing  under  the  tree  together  a  young  knight 
rode  by.  "  Run  away,  quick,  and  hide  yourself, 
little  Two  Eyes ;  hide  yourself  somewhere,  for  we 
shall  be  quite  ashamed  for  you  to  be  seen."  Then 
they  pushed  the  poor  girl,  in  great  haste,  under  an 
empty  cask,  which  stood  near  the  tree,  and  several 
of  the  golden  apples  that  she  had  plucked  along 
with  her. 

As  the  knight  came  nearer  they  saw  he  was  a 
handsome  man ;  and  presently  he  halted,  and  looked 
with  wonder  and  pleasure  at  the  beautiful  tree  with 
its  silver  leaves  and  golden  fruit 

At  last  he  spoke  to  the  sisters,  and  asked :  "  To 
whom  does  this  beautiful  tree  belong?  If  a  man 
possessed  only  one  branch  he  might  obtain  all  he 
wished  for  in  the  world." 

"  This  tree  belongs  to  us,"  said  the  two  sisters, 
v  and  we  will  break  off  a  branch  for  you  if  you 
like."  They  gave  themselves  a  great  deal  of  trouble 
in  trying  to  do  as  they  offered;  but  all  to  no  pur- 
pose, for  the  branches  and  the  fruit  evaded  their 
efforts,  and  sprung  back  at  every  touch. 

"  This    is    wonderful,"    exclaimed    the    knight, 


One  Eye,  Two  Eyes,  Three  Eyes  9 

"  that  the  tree  should  belong  to  you,  and  yet  you  are 
not  able  to  gather  even  a  branch." 

They  persisted,  however,  in  declaring  that  the 
tree  was  their  own  property.  At  this  moment  little 
Two  Eyes,  who  was  angry  because  her  sisters  had 
not  told  the  truth,  caused  two  of  the  golden  apples 
to  slip  out  from  under  the  cask,  and  they  rolled  on 
till  they  reached  the  feet  of  the  knight's  horse. 
When  he  saw  them,  he  asked  in  astonishment  where 
they  came  from. 

The  two  ugly  maidens  replied  that  they  had  an- 
other sister,  but  they  dared  not  let  him  see  her,  for 
she  had  only  two  eyes,  like  common  people,  and  was 
named  little  Two  Eyes. 

But  the  knight  felt  very  anxious  to  see  her,  and 
called  out,  "  Little  Two  Eyes,  come  here."  Then 
came  Two  Eyes,  quite  comforted,  from  the  empty 
cask,  and  the  knight  was  astonished  to  find  her  so 
beautiful. 

Then  he  said,  "  Little  Two  Eyes,  can  you  break 
off  a  branch  of  the  tree  for  me  ?  " 

"  Oh  yes,"  she  replied,  "  I  can,  very  easily,  for 
the  tree  belongs  to  me."  And  she  climbed  up,  and, 
without  any  trouble,  broke  off  a  branch  with  its 
silver  leaves  and  golden  fruit  and  gave  it  to  the 
knight. 

He  looked  down  at  her  as  she  stood  by  his  horse, 
and  said :  "  Little  Two  Eyes,  what  shall  I  give  you 
for  this?" 

"  Ah !  "  she  answered,  "  I  suffer  from  hunger 
and  thirst,  and  sorrow,  and  troubVe,  from  early 
morning  till  late  at  night;  if  you  would  only  take 
me  with  you,  and  release  me,  I  should  be  so  happy." 


io       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Then  the  knight  lifted  the  little  maiden  on  his 
horse,  and  rode  home  with  her  to  his  father's  castle. 
There  she  was  given  beautiful  clothes  to  wear,  and 
as  much  to  eat  and  drink  as  she  wished,  and  as  she 
grew  up  the  young  knight  loved  her  so  dearly  that 
they  were  married  with  great  rejoicings. 

Now,  when  the  two  sisters  saw  little  Two  Eyes 
carried  away  by  the  handsome  young  knight,  they 
were  overjoyed  at  their  good  fortune.  "  The  won- 
derful tree  belongs  to  us  now,"  they  said ;  "  even  if 
we  cannot  break  off  a  branch,  yet  everybody  who 
passes  will  stop  to  admire  it,  and  make  acquaintance 
with  us,  and,  who  knows?  we  may  get  husbands 
after  all." 

But  when  they  rose  the  next  morning,  lo !  the 
tree  had  vanished,  and  with  it  all  their  hopes.  And 
on  this  very  morning,  when  little  Two  Eyes  looked 
out  of  her  chamber  window  of  the  castle,  she  saw, 
to  her  great  joy,  that  the  tree  had  followed  her. 

Little  Two  Eyes  lived  for  a  long  time  in  great 
happiness;  but  she  heard  nothing  of  her  sisters,  till 
one  day  two  poor  women  came  to  the  castle,  to  beg 
for  alms.  Little  Two  Eyes  saw  them,  and,  looking 
earnestly  in  their  faces,  she  recognised  her  two 
sisters,  who  had  become  so  poor  that  they  were 
obliged  to  beg  their  bread  from  door  to  door. 

But  the  good  sister  received  them  most  kindly, 
and  promised  to  take  care  of  them  and  give  them 
all  they  wanted.  And  then  they  did  indeed  repent 
and  feel  sorry  for  having  treated  her  so  badly  in 
their  youthful  days. 


CHAPTER   II 


THE  MAGIC  MIRROR 


One  day  in  the  middle  of  winter,  when  the  snow- 
flakes  fell  from  the  sky  like  feathers,  a  queen  sat  at 
a  window  netting.  Her  netting-needle  was  of  black 
ebony,  and  as  she  worked,  and  the  snow  glittered, 
she  pricked  her  finger,  and  three  drops  of  blood  fell 
into  the  snow.  The  red  spots  looked  so  beautiful 
in  the  white  snow  that  the  queen  thought  to  herself : 

"  Oh,  if  I  only  had  a  little  child,  I  should  like  it 
to  be  as  fair  as  snow,  as  rosy  as  the  red  blood,  and 
with  hair  and  eyes  as  black  as  ebony." 

Very  soon  after  this  the  queen  had  a  little 
daughter  who  was  very  fair,  had  rosy  cheeks,  and 
hair  as  black  as  ebony ;  and  they  gave  her  the  name 
of  Snow-white.  But  at  the  birth  of  the  little  child 
the  queen  died. 

When  Snow-white  was  a  year  old,  the  king  took 
another  wife.  She  was  very  handsome,  but  so 
proud  and  vain  that  she  could  not  endure  that  any- 
one should  surpass  her  in  beauty.  She  possessed  a 
wonderful  mirror,  and  when  she  stood  before  it  to 
look  at  herself  she  would  say : 

"  Mirror,  mirror  on  the  wall, 
Am  I  most  beautiful  of  all?  " 


12       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Then  the  mirror  would  reply: 

"  Young  queen,  thou  an:  so  wondrous  fair, 
None  can  with  thee  at  all  compare." 

Then  she  would  go  away  quite  contented,  for 
she  knew  the  magic  mirror  could  speak  only  the 
truth. 

Years  went  by,  and  as  Snow-white  grew  up,  she 
became  day  after  day  more  beautiful,  till  she 
reached  the  age  of  seven  years,  and  then  people 
began  to  talk  about  her,  and  say  that  she  would  be 
more  lovely  even  than  the  queen  herself.  So  the 
proud  woman  went  to  her  magic  looking-glass,  and 
asked : 

"  Mirror,  mirror  on  the  wall, 
Am  I  most  beautiful  of  all?  " 

But  the  mirror  answered: 

"  Queen,  thou  are  lovely  still  to  see, 
But  Snow-white  will  be 
A  thousand  times  more  beautiful  than  thee." 

Then  the  queen  was  terrified,  and  turned  green 
and  yellow  with  jealousy.  If  she  had  caught  sight 
of  Snow-white  at  that  moment,  she  would  have  been 
ready  to  tear  her  heart  out  of  her  body,  she  hated 
the  maiden  so  fiercely. 

And  this  jealousy  and  envy  grew  every  day 
stronger  and  stronger  in  her  heart,  like  a  disease, 
till  she  had  no  rest  day  or  night. 

At  last  she  sent  for  a  hunter,  who  lived  near  a 
forest,  and  said  to  him,  "  Hunter,  I  want  to  get  rid 
of  that  child.  Take  her  out  into  the  wood,  and  if 
you  bring  me  some  proofs  that  she  is  dead,  I  will 


TJic  Magic  Mirror  13 

reward  you  handsomely.  Never  let  her  appear  be- 
fore my  eyes  again." 

So  the  hunter  enticed  the  child  into  the  wood ;  but 
when  he  took  out  his  hunting-knife  to  thrust  into 
Snow-white's  innocent  heart,  she  fell  on  her  knees 
and  wept,  and  said,  "  Ah,  dear  hunter,  leave  me  my 
life ;  I  will  run  away  into  the  wild  wood,  and  never, 
never  come  home  any  more." 

She  looked  so  innocent  and  beautiful  as  she  knelt, 
that  the  hunter's  heart  was  moved  with  compas- 
sion :  "  Run  away,  then,  thou  poor  child,"  he  cried ; 
"  I  cannot  harm  thee." 

Snow-white  thanked  him  so  sweetly,  and  was  out 
of  sight  in  a  few  moments. 

"  She  will  be  devoured  by  wild  beasts,"  he  said 
to  himself.  But  the  thought  that  he  had  not  killed 
her  was  as  if  a  stone-weight  had  been  lifted  from 
his  heart. 

To  satisfy  the  queen,  he  took  part  of  the  inside  of 
a  young  fawn,  which  the  wicked  woman  thought 
was  poor  little  Snow-white,  and  was  overjoyed  to 
think  she  was  dead. 

But  the  poor  little  motherless  child,  when  she 
found  herself  alone  in  the  wood,  and  saw  nothing 
but  trees  and  leaves,  was  dreadfully  frightened,  and 
knew  not  what  to  do.  At  last  she  began  to  run 
over  the  sharp  stones  and  through  the  thorns,  and 
though  the  wild  beasts  sprang  out  before  her,  they 
did  her  no  harm.  She  ran  on  as  long  as  she  could, 
till  her  little  feet  became  quite  sore;  and  towards 
evening  she  saw,  to  her  great  joy,  a  pretty  little 
house.  So  she  went  up  to  it,  and  found  the  door 
open  and  no  one  at  home. 


14       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

It  was  a  tiny  little  house,  but  everything  in  it  was 
so  clean  and  neat  and  elegant  that  it  is  beyond  de- 
scription. In  the  middle  of  the  room  stood  a  small 
table,  covered  with  a  snow-white  table-cloth,  ready 
for  supper.  On  it  were  arranged  seven  little  plates, 
seven  little  spoons,  seven  little  knives  and  forks, 
and  seven  mugs.  By  the  wall  stood  seven  little 
beds,  near  each  other,  covered  with  white  quilts. 

Poor  Snow-white,  who  was  hungry  and  thirsty, 
ate  a  few  vegetables  and  a  little  bread  from  each 
plate,  and  drank  a  little  drop  of  wine  from  each  cup, 
for  she  did  not  like  to  take  all  she  wanted  from  one 
alone.  After  this,  feeling  very  tired,  she  thought 
she  would  lie  down  and  rest  on  one  of  the  beds,  but 
she  found  it  difficult  to  choose  one  to  suit  her.  One 
was  too  long,  another  too  short;  so  she  tried  them 
all  till  she  came  to  the  seventh,  and  that  was  so  com- 
fortable that  she  laid  herself  down,  and  was  soon 
fast  asleep. 

When  it  was  quite  dark  the  masters  of  the  house 
came  home.  They  were  seven  little  dwarfs,  who 
dug  and  searched  in  the  mountains  for  minerals. 
First  they  lighted  seven  little  lamps,  and  as  soon  as 
the  room  was  full  of  light  they  saw  that  some  one 
had  been  there,  for  everything  did  not  stand  in  the 
order  in  which  they  had  left  it. 

Then  said  the  first,  "  Who  has  been  sitting  in  my 
little  chair?" 

The  second  exclaimed,  "  Who  has  been  eating 
from  my  little  plate  ?  " 

The  third  cried,  "  Some  one  has  taken  part  of 
my  bread." 


The  Magic  Mirror  15 

"  Who  has  been  eating  my  vegetables  ?  "  said  the 
fourth. 

Then  said  the  fifth,  "  Some  one  has  used  my 
fork." 

The  sixth  cried,  "  And  who  has  been  cutting  with 
my  knife?  " 

"  And  some  one  has  been  drinking  out  of  my 
cup,"  said  the  seventh. 

Then  the  eldest  looked  at  his  bed,  and,  seeing  that 
it  looked  tumbled,  cried  out  that  some  one  had  been 
upon  it.  The  others  came  running  forward,  and 
found  all  their  beds  in  the  same  condition.  But 
when  the  seventh  approached  his  bed,  and  saw 
Snow-white  lying  there  fast  asleep,  he  called  the 
others,  who  came  quickly,  and  holding  their  lights 
over  their  heads,  cried  out  in  wonder  as  they  beheld 
the  sleeping  child.  "  Oh,  what  a  beautiful  little 
child !  "  they  said  to  each  other,  and  were  so  de- 
lighted that  they  would  not  awaken  her,  but  left  her 
to  sleep  as  long  as  she  liked  in  the  little  bed,  while 
its  owner  slept  with  one  of  his  companions,  and  so 
the  night  passed  away. 

In  the  morning,  when  Snow-white  awoke,  and 
saw  all  the  dwarfs,  she  was  terribly  frightened. 
But  they  spoke  kindly  to  her,  till  she  lost  all  fear, 
and  they  asked  her  name. 

"  I  am  called  Snow-white,"  she  replied. 

"  But  how  came  you  to  our  house  ?  "  asked  one. 

Then  she  related  to  them  all  that  had  happened; 
how  her  stepmother  had  sent  her  into  the  wood  with 
the  hunter,  who  had  spared  her  life,  and  that,  after 
wandering  about  for  a  whole  day,  she  had  found 
their  house. 


16      Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

The  dwarfs  talked  a  little  while  together,  and 
then  one  said,  "  Do  you  think  you  could  be  our  little 
housekeeper,  to  make  the  beds,  cook  the  dinner,  and 
wash  and  sew  and  knit  for  us,  and  keep  everything 
neat  and  clean  and  orderly?  If  you  can,  then  you 
shall  stay  here  with  us,  and  nobody  shall  hurt  you." 

"  Oh  yes,  I  will  try,"  said  Snow-white.  So  they 
let  her  stay,  and  she  was  a  clever  little  thing.  She 
managed  very  well,  and  kept  the  house  quite  clean 
and  in  order.  And  while  they  were  gone  to  the 
mountains  to  find  gold,  she  got  their  supper  ready, 
and  they  were  very  happy  together. 

But  every  morning  when  they  left  her,  the  kind 
little  dwarfs  warned  Snow-white  to  be  careful. 
While  the  maiden  was  alone  they  knew  she  was  in 
danger,  and  told  her  not  to  show  herself,  for  her 
stepmother  would  soon  find  out  where  she  was,  and 
said,  "  Whatever  you  do,  let  nobody  into  the  house 
while  we  are  gone." 

After  the  wicked  queen  had  proved,  as  she 
thought,  that  Snow-white  was  dead,  she  felt  quite 
satisfied  there  was  no  one  in  the  world  now  likely 
to  become  so  beautiful  as  herself,  so  she  stepped  up 
to  her  mirror  and  asked: 

"  Mirror,  mirror  on  the  wall, 
Who  is  most  beautiful  of  all?" 

To  her  vexation  the  mirror  replied: 

"  Fair  queen,  at  home  there  is  none  like  thee, 
But  over  the  mountains  is  Snow-white  free, 
With  seven  little  dwarfs,  who  are  strange  to  see; 
A  thousand  times  fairer  than  thou  is  she." 


The  Magic  Mirror  17 

The  queen  was  furious  when  she  heard  this,  for 
she  knew  the  mirror  was  truthful,  and  that  the 
hunter  must  have  deceived  her,  and  that  Snow- 
white  still  lived.  So  she  sat  and  pondered  over 
these  facts,  thinking  what  would  be  best  to  do,  foi 
as  long  as  she  was  not  the  most  beautiful  woman 
in  the  land,  her  jealousy  gave  her  no  peace.  After 
a  time,  she  decided  what  to  do.  First,  she  painted 
her  face,  and  whitened  her  hair;  then  she  dressed 
herself  in  old  woman's  clothes,  and  was  so  dis- 
guised that  no  one  could  have  recognised  her. 

Watching  an  opportunity,  she  left  the  castle,  and 
took  her  way  to  the  wood  near  the  mountains, 
where  the  seven  little  dwarfs  lived.  When  she 
reached  the  door,  she  knocked,  and  cried,  "  Beauti- 
ful goods  to  sell ;  beautiful  goods  to  sell." 

Snow-white,  when  she  heard  it,  peeped  through 
the  window,  and  said,  "  Good-day,  old  lady.  What 
have  you  in  your  basket  for  me  to  buy?  " 

"  Everything  that  is  pretty,"  she  replied ;  "  laces, 
and  pearls,  and  earrings,  and  bracelets  of  every 
colour ;  "  and  she  held  up  her  basket,  which  was 
lined  with  glittering  silk. 

"  I  can  let  in  this  respectable  old  woman," 
thought  Snow-white ;  "  she  will  not  harm  me."  So 
she  unbolted  the  door,  and  told  her  to  come  in.  Oh, 
how  delighted  Snow-white  was  with  the  pretty 
things ;  she  bought  several  trinkets,  and  a  beautiful 
silk  lace  for  her  stays,  but  she  did  not  see  the  evil 
eye  of  the  old  woman  who  was  watching  her.  Pres- 
ently she  said,  "  Child,  come  here ;  I  will  show  you 
how  to  lace  your  stays  properly."  Snow-white  had 
no  suspicion,  so  she  placed  herself  before  the  old 


2  8      Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

woman  that  she  might  lace  her  stays.  But  no  sooner 
was  the  lace  in  the  holes  than  she  began  to  lace  so 
fast  and  pull  so  tight  that  Snow-white  could  not 
breathe,  and  presently  fell  down  at  her  feet  as  if 
dead. 

"  Now  you  are  beautiful  indeed,"  said  the  woman, 
and,  fancying  she  heard  footsteps,  she  rushed  away 
as  quickly  as  she  could. 

Not  long  after,  the  seven  dwarfs  came  home,  and 
they  were  terribly  frightened  to  see  dear  little 
Snow-white  lying  on  the  ground  without  motion, 
as  if  she  were  dead.  They  lifted  her  up,  and  saw 
in  a  moment  that  her  stays  had  been  laced  too  tight. 
Quickly  they  cut  the  stay-lace  in  two,  till  Snow- 
white  began  to  breathe  a  little,  and  after  a  time  was 
restored  to  life.  But  when  the  dwarfs  heard  what 
riad  happened,  they  said :  "  That  old  market-woman 
was  no  other  than  your  wicked  stepmother.  Snow- 
white,  you  must  never  again  let  anyone  in  while  we 
are  not  with  you." 

The  wicked  queen  when  she  returned  home,  after, 
as  she  thought,  killing  Snow-white,  went  to  her 
looking-glass  and  asked: 

"  Mirror,  mirror  on  the  wall, 
Am  I  most  beautiful  of  all?" 

Then  answered  the  mirror: 

"  Queen,  thou  art  not  the  fairest  now ; 
Snow-white  over  the  mountain's  brow 
A  thousand  times  fairer  is  than  thou." 

When  she  heard  this  she  was  so  terrified  that  the 
blood  rushed  to  her  heart,  for  she  knew  that  after 


The  Magic  Mirror  19 

all  she  had  done  Snow-white  was  still  alive.  "  I 
must  think  of  something  else,"  she  said  to  herself, 
"  to  get  rid  of  that  odious  child." 

Now  this  wicked  queen  had  some  knowledge  of 
witchcraft,  and  she  knew  how  to  poison  a  comb,  so 
that  whoever  used  it  would  fall  dead.  This  the 
wicked  stepmother  soon  got  ready,  and  dressing 
herself  again  like  an  old  woman,  but  quite  different 
from  the  last,  she  started  off  to  travel  over  the 
mountains  to  the  dwarfs'  cottage. 

When  Snow-white  heard  the  old  cry,  "  Goods  to 
sell,  fine  goods  to  sell,"  she  looked  out  of  the  window 
and  said: 

"  Go  away,  go  away ;  I  must  not  let  you  in." 

"  Look  at  this,  then,"  said  the  woman ;  "  you 
shall  have  it  for  your  own  if  you  like,"  and  she  held 
up  before  the  child's  eyes  the  bright  tortoise-shell 
comb  which  she  had  poisoned. 

Poor  Snow-white  could  not  refuse  such  a  present, 
so  she  opened  the  door  and  let  the  woman  in,  quite 
forgetting  the  advice  of  the  dwarfs.  After  she  had 
bought  a  few  things,  the  old  woman  said,  "  Let  me 
try  this  comb  in  your  hair ;  it  is  so  fine  it  will  make 
it  beautifully  smooth  and  glossy." 

So  Snow-white,  thinking  no  wrong,  stood  before 
the  woman  to  have  her  hair  dressed ;  but  no  sooner 
had  the  comb  touched  the  roots  of  her  hair  than  the 
poison  took  effect,  and  the  maiden  fell  to  the  ground 
lifeless. 

"  You  paragon  of  beauty,"  said  the  wicked 
woman,  "  all  has  just  happened  as  I  expected,"  and 
then  she  went  away  quickly. 

Fortunately  evening  soon  arrived,  and  the  seven 


20       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

dwarfs  returned  home.  When  they  saw  Snow- 
white  lying  dead  on  the  ground,  they  knew  at  once 
that  the  stepmother  had  been  there  again ;  but  on 
seeing  the  poisoned  comb  in  her  hair  they  pulled  it 
out  quickly,  and  Snow-white  very  soon  came  to  her- 
self, and  related  all  that  had  passed. 

Again  they  warned  her  not  to  let  anyone  enter 
the  house  during  their  absence,  and  on  no  account 
to  open  the  door;  but  Snow-white  was  not  clever 
enough  to  resist  her  clever  wicked  stepmother,  and 
she  forgot  to  obey. 

The  wicked  queen  felt  sure  now  that  she  had 
really  killed  Snow-white ;  so  as  soon  as  she  returned 
home  she  went  to  her  looking-glass,  and  inquired : 

"  Mirror,  mirror  on  the  wall, 
Who  is  most  beautiful  of  all?  " 

But  the  mirror  replied: 

"  Queen,  thou  art  the  fairest  here, 
But  not  when  Snow-white  is  near ; 
Over  the  mountains  still  is  she, 
Fairer  a  thousand  times  than  thee." 

As  the  looking-glass  thus  replied,  the  queen 
trembled  and  quaked  with  rage.  "  Snow-white  shall 
die,"  cried  she,  "  if  it  costs  me  my  own  life !  " 

Then  she  went  into  a  lonely  forbidden  chamber 
where  no  one  was  allowed  to  come,  and  poisoned  a 
beautiful  apple.  Outwardly  it  looked  ripe  and 
tempting,  of  a  pale  green  with  rosy  cheeks,  so  that 
it  made  everyone's  mouth  water  to  look  at  it,  but 
whoever  ate  even  a  small  piece  must  die. 

As  soon  as  this  apple  was  ready,  the  wicked  queen 


The  Magic  Mirror  21 

painted  her  face,  disguised  her  hair,  dressed  herself 
as  a  farmer's  wife,  and  went  again  over  the  mount- 
ains to  the  dwarfs'  cottage. 

When  she  knocked  at  the  door,  Snow-white 
stretched  her  head  out  of  the  window,  and  said,  "  I 
dare  not  let  you  in ;  the  seven  dwarfs  have  for- 
bidden me." 

"  But  I  am  all  right,"  said  the  fanner's  wife. 
"  Stay,  I  will  show  you  my  apples.  Are  they  not 
beautiful  ?  let  me  make  you  a  present  of  one." 

"  No,  thank  you,"  cried  Snow-white ;  "  I  dare  not 
take  it." 

"  What !  "  cried  the  woman,  "  are  you  afraid  it 
is  poisoned?  Look  here  now,  I  will  cut  the  apple 
in  halves ;  you  shall  have  the  rosy-cheek  side,  and 
I  will  eat  the  other." 

The  apple  was  so  cleverly  made  that  the  red 
side  alone  was  poisonous.  Snow-white  longed  so 
much  for  the  beautnul  fruit  as  she  saw  the  farmer's 
wife  eat  one  half  that  she  could  not  any  longer 
resist,  but  stretched  out  her  hand  from  the  window 
and  took  the  poisoned  half.  But  no  sooner  had  she 
taken  one  mouthful  than  she  fell  on  the  ground 
dead. 

Then  the  wicked  queen  glanced  in  at  the  window 
with  a  horrible  look  in  her  eye,  and  laughed  aloud 
as  she  exclaimed: 

"  White  as  snow,  red  as  blood,  and  black  as 
ebony;  this  time  the  dwarfs  will  not  be  able  to 
awake  thee." 

And  as  soon  as  she  arrived  at  home,  and  asked 
her  mirror  who  was  the  most  beautiful  in  the  land, 
it  replied : 


2.2       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"  Fair  queen,  there  is  none  in  all  the  land 
So  beautiful  as  thou." 

Then  had  her  envious  heart  rest,  at  least  such  rest 
as  a  heart  full  of  envy  and  malice  ever  can  have. 

The  little  dwarfs,  when  they  came  home  in  the 
evening-,  found  poor  Snow-white  on  the  ground; 
but  though  the}''  lifted  her  up,  there  were  no  signs 
of  breath  from  her  mouth,  and  they  found  she  was 
really  dead.  Yet  they  tried  in  every  way  to  restore 
her;  they  tried  to  extract  the  poison  from  her  lips, 
they  combed  her  hair,  and  washed  it  with  wine  and 
water,  but  all  to  no  purpose :  the  dear  child  gave  no 
signs  of  life,  and  at  last  they  knew  she  was  dead. 
Then  they  laid  her  on  a  bier,  and  the  seven  dwarfs 
seated  themselves  round  her,  and  wept  and  mourned 
for  three  days.  They  would  have  buried  her  then, 
but  there  was  no  change  in  her  appearance ;  her  face 
was  as  fresh,  and  her  cheeks  and  lips  had  their  usual 
colour.  Then  said  one,  "  We  cannot  lay  this  beauti- 
ful child  in  the  dark,  cold  earth." 

So  they  agreed  to  have  a  coffin  made  entirely  of 
glass,  transparent  all  over,  that  they  might  watch 
for  any  signs  of  decay,  and  they  wrote  in  letters  of 
gold  her  name  on  the  lid,  and  that  she  was  the 
daughter  of  a  king.  The  coffin  was  placed  on  the 
side  of  the  mountain,  and  each  of  them  watched  it 
by  turns,  so  that  it  was  never  left  alone.  And  the 
birds  of  the  air  came  near  and  mourned  for  Snow- 
white;  first  the  owl,  then  the  raven,  and  at  last  the 
dove.  Snow-white  lay  for  a  long,  long  time  in  the 
glass  coffin,  but  showed  not  the  least  signs  of  decay. 
It  seemed  as  if  she  slept;  for  her  skin  was  snow 


The  Magic  Mirror  23 

white,  her  cheeks  rosy  red,  and  her  hair  black  as 
ebony. 

It  happened  one  day  that  the  son  of  a  king-,  while 
riding'  in  the  forest,  came  by  chance  upon  the 
dwarfs'  house  and  asked  for  a  night's  lodging.  As 
he  left  the  next  morning  he  saw  the  coffin  on  the 
mountain-side,  with  beautiful  Snow-white  lying  in 
it,  and  read  what  was  written  upon  the  lid  in  letters 
of  gold. 

Then  he  said  to  the  dwarfs,  "  Let  me  have  this 
coffin,  and  I  will  give  you  for  it  whatever  you  ask." 

But  the  elder  dwarf  answered,  "  We  would  not 
give  it  thee  for  all  the  gold  in  the  world." 

But  the  prince  answered,  "  Let  me  have  it  as  a 
gift,  then.  I  know  not  why,  but  my  heart  is  drawn 
towards  this  beautiful  child,  and  I  feel  I  cannot  live 
without  her.  If  you  will  let  me  have  her,  she  shall 
be  treated  with  the  greatest  honour  and  respect  as 
one  dearly  beloved." 

As  he  thus  spoke  the  good  little  dwarfs  were  full 
of  sympathy  for  him,  and  gave  him  the  comn.  Then 
the  prince  called  his  servants,  and  the  coffin  was 
placed  on  their  shoulders,  and  they  carried  it  away, 
followed  by  the  king's  son,  who  watched  it  care- 
fully. Now  it  happened  that  one  of  them  made  a 
false  step  and  stumbled.  This  shook  the  coffin,  and 
caused  the  poisoned  piece  of  apple  which  Snow- 
white  had  bitten  to  roll  out  of  her  mouth.  A  little 
while  after  she  suddenly  opened  her  eyes,  lifted  up 
the  coffin-lid,  raised  herself  and  was  again  alive. 

"  Oh !  where  am  I  ?  "  she  cried. 

Full  of  joy,  the  king's  son  approached  her,  and 


*4       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

said,  "  Dear  Snow-white,  you  are  safe ;  vou  are  with 
me." 

Then  he  related  to  her  all  that  had  happened,  and 
what  the  little  dwarfs  had  told  him  about  her,  and 
said  at  last,  "  I  love  you  better  than  all  in  the  world 
besides,  dear  little  Snow-white,  and  you  must  come 
with  me  to  my  father's  castle  and  be  my  wife." 

Then  was  Snow-white  taken  out  of  the  coffin  and 
placed  in  a  carriage  to  travel  with  the  prince,  and 
the  king  was  so  pleased  with  his  son's  choice  that 
the  marriage  was  soon  after  celebrated  with  great 
pomp  and  magnificence. 

Now  it  happened  that  the  stepmother  of  Snow- 
white  was  invited,  among  other  guests,  to  the  wed- 
ding-feast. Before  she  left  her  house  she  stood  in 
all  her  rich  dress  before  the  magic  mirror  to  admire 
her  own  appearance,  but  she  could  not  help  saying : 

"  Mirror,  mirror  on  the  wall. 
Am  I  most  beautiful  of  all  ?  " 

Then  to  her  surprise  the  mirror  replied: 

"  Fair  queen,  thou  art  the  fairest  here, 
But  at  the  palace,  now, 
The  bride  will  prove  a  thousand  times 
More  beautiful  than  thou." 

Then  the  wicked  woman  uttered  a  curse,  and  was 
so  dreadfully  alarmed  that  she  knew  not  what  to  do. 
At  first  she  declared  she  would  not  go  to  this  wed- 
ding at  all,  but  she  felt  it  impossible  to  rest  until 
she  had  seen  the  bride,  so  she  determined  to  go. 
But  what  was  her  astonishment  and  vexation  when 


The  Magic  Mirror  25 

she  recognised  in  the  young  bride  Snow-white  her- 
self, now  grown  a  charming  young  woman,  and 
richly  dressed  in  royal  robes !  Her  rage  and  terror 
were  so  great  that  she  stood  still  and  could  not  move 
for  some  minutes.  At  last  she  went  into  the  ball- 
room, but  the  slippers  she  wore  were  to  her  as  iron 
bands  full  of  coals  of  fire,  in  which  she  was  obliged 
to  dance.  And  so  in  the  red,  glowing  shoes  she 
continued  to  dance  till  she  fell  dead  on  the  floor,  a 
sad  example  of  envy  and  jealousy. 


CHAPTER   III 

THE   ENCHANTED   STAG 

There  were  once  a  brother  and  sister  who  loved 
each  other  dearly ;  their  mother  was  dead,  and  their 
father  had  married  again  a  woman  who  was  most 
unkind  and  cruel  to  them.  One  day  the  boy  took 
his  sister's  hand,  and  said  to  her,  "  Dear  little  sister, 
since  our  mother  died  we  have  not  had  one  happy 
hour.  Our  stepmother  gives  us  dry  hard  crusts 
for  dinner  and  supper;  she  often  knocks  us  about, 
and  threatens  to  kick  us  out  of  the  house.  Even 
the  little  dogs  under  the  table  fare  better  than  we  do, 
for  she  often  throws  them  nice  pieces  to  eat. 
Heaven  pity  us !  Oh,  if  our  dear  mother  knew ! 
Come,  let  us  go  out  into  the  wide  world !  " 

So  they  went  out,  and  wandered  over  fields  and 
meadows  the  whole  day  till  evening.  At  last  they 
found  themselves  in  a  large  forest ;  it  began  to  rain, 
and  the  little  sister  said,  "  See,  brother,  heaven  and 
our  hearts  weep  together."  At  last,  tired  out  with 
hunger  and  sorrow,  and  the  long  journey,  they 
crept  into  a  hollow  tree,  laid  themselves  down,  and 
slept  till  morning. 

When  they  awoke  the  sun  was  high  in  the 
heavens,  and  shone  brightly  into  the  hollow  tree,  so 
they  left  their  place  of  shelter  and  wandered  away 
in  search  of  water. 


The  Enchanted  Stag  27 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  thirsty !  "  said  the  boy.  "  If  we 
could  only  find  a  brook  or  a  stream."  He  stopped 
to  listen,  and  said,  "  Stay,  I  think  I  hear  a  running 
stream."  So  he  took  his  sister  by  the  hand,  and 
they  ran  together  to  find  it. 

Now,  the  stepmother  of  these  poor  children  was 
a  wicked  witch.  She  had  seen  the  children  go  away, 
and,  following  them  cautiously  like  a  snake,  had  be- 
witched all  the  springs  and  streams  in  the  forest. 
The  pleasant  trickling  of  a  brook  over  the  pebbles 
was  heard  by  the  children  as  they  reached  it,  and 
the  boy  was  just  stooping  to  drink,  when  the  sister 
heard  in  the  babbling  of  the  brook: 

"  Whoever  drinks  of  me,  a  tiger  soon  will  be." 

Then  she  cried  quickly,  "  Stay,  brother,  stay !  do 
not  drink,  or  you  will  become  a  wild  beast,  and  tear 
me  to  pieces." 

Thirsty  as  he  was,  the  brother  conquered  his 
desire  to  drink  at  her  words,  and  said,  "  Dear  sister, 
I  will  wait  till  we  come  to  a  spring."  So  they 
wandered  farther,  but  as  they  approached,  she  heard 
in  the  bubbling  spring  the  words — 

"  Who  drinks  of  me,  a  wolf  will  be." 

"  Brother,  I  pray  you,  do  not  drink  of  this  brook ; 
you  will  be  changed  into  a  wolf,  and  devour  me." 

Again  the  brother  denied  himself  and  promised  to 
wait ;  but  he  said,  "  At  the  next  stream  I  must  drink, 
say  what  you  will,  my  thirst  is  so  great." 

Not  far  off  ran  a  pretty  streamlet,  looking  clear 


28       Fairy  Talcs  Every  Child  Should  Know 

and  bright ;  but  here  also  in  its  murmuring  waters, 
the  sister  heard  the  words — 

"  Who  dares  to  drink  of  me, 
Turned  to  a  stag  will  be." 

"  Dear  brother,  do  not  drink,"  she  began ;  but 
she  was  too  late,  for  her  brother  had  already  knelt 
by  the  stream  to  drink,  and  as  the  first  drop  of  water 
touched  his  lips  he  became  a  fawn.  How  the  little 
sister  wept  over  the  enchanted  brother,  and  the 
fawn  wept  also. 

He  did  not  run  away,  but  stayed  close  to  her; 
and  at  last  she  said,  "  Stand  still,  dear  fawn ;  don't 
fear,  I  must  take  care  of  you,  but  I  will  never  leave 
you."  So  she  untied  her  little  golden  garter  and 
fastened  it  round  the  neck  of  the  fawn ;  then  she 
gathered  some  soft  green  rushes,  and  braided  them 
into  a  soft  string,  which  she  fastened  to  the  fawn's 
golden  collar,  and  then  led  him  away  into  the  depths 
of  the  forest. 

After  wandering  about  for  some  time,  they  at 
last  found  a  little  deserted  hut,  and  the  sister  was 
overjoyed,  for  she  thought  it  would  form  a  nice 
shelter  for  them  both.  So  she  led  the  fawn  in,  and 
then  went  out  alone,  to  gather  moss  and  dried  leaves, 
to  make  him  a  soft  bed. 

Every  morning  she  went  out  to  gather  dried 
roots,  nuts,  and  berries,  for  her  own  food,  and 
sweet  fresh  grass  for  the  fawn,  which  he  ate  out  of 
her  hand,  and  the  poor  little  animal  went  out  with 
her,  and  played  about  as  happy  as  the  day  was  long. 

When  evening  came,  and  the  poor  sister  felt  tired, 


The  Enchanted  Stag  39 

she  would  kneel  down  and  say  her  prayers,  and  then 
lay  her  delicate  head  on  the  fawn's  back,  which  was 
a  soft  warm  pillow,  on  which  she  could  sleep  peace- 
fully. Had  this  dear  brother  only  kept  his  own 
proper  form,  how  happy  they  would  have  been  to- 
gether !  After  they  had  been  alone  in  the  forest  for 
some  time,  and  the  little  sister  had  grown  a  lovely 
maiden,  and  the  fawn  a  large  stag,  a  numerous  hunt- 
ing party  came  to  the  forest,  and  amongst  them  the 
king  of  the  country. 

The  sounding  horn,  the  barking  of  the  dogs,  the 
holloa  of  the  huntsmen,  resounded  through  the  for- 
est, and  were  heard  by  the  stag,  who  became  eager 
to  join  his  companions. 

"  Oh  dear,"  he  said,  "  do  let  me  go  and  see  the 
hunt;  I  cannot  restrain  myself."  And  he  begged 
so  hard  that  at  last  she  reluctantly  consented. 

"  But  remember,"  she  said,  "  I  must  lock  the  cot- 
tage door  against  those  huntsmen,  so  when  you 
come  back  in  the  evening,  and  knock,  I  shall  not 
admit  you,  unless  you  say,  "  Dear  little  sister  let  me 
in." 

He  bounded  off  as  she  spoke,  scarcely  stopping  to 
listen,  for  it  was  so  delightful  for  him  to  breathe 
the  fresh  air  and  be  free  again. 

He  had  not  run  far  when  the  king's  chief  hunter 
caught  sight  of  the  beautiful  animal,  and  started  off 
in  chase  of  him ;  but  it  was  no  easy  matter  to  over- 
take such  rapid  footsteps.  Once,  when  he  thought 
he  had  him  safe,  the  fawn  sprang  over  the  bushes 
and  disappeared. 

As  it  was  now  nearly  dark,  he  ran  up  to  the  little 
cottage,  knocked  at  the  door,  and  cried,  "  Dear  little 


30       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

sister,  let  me  in."  The  door  was  instantly  opened, 
and  oh,  how  glad  his  sister  was  to  see  him  safely 
resting  on  his  soft  pleasant  bed! 

A  few  days  after  this,  the  huntsmen  were  again 
in  the  forest;  and  when  the  fawn  heard  the  holloa, 
he  could  not  rest  in  peace,  but  begged  his  sister 
again  to  let  him  go. 

She  opened  the  door,  and  said,  "  I  will  let  you  go 
this  time ;  but  pray  do  not  forget  to  say  what  I  told 
you,  when  you  return  this  evening." 

The  chief  hunter  very  soon  espied  the  beautiful 
fawn  with  the  golden  collar,  pointed  it  out  to  the 
king,  and  they  determined  to  hunt  it. 

They  chased  him  with  all  their  skill  till  the  even- 
ing; but  he  was  too  light  and  nimble  for  them  to 
catch,  till  a  shot  wounded  him  slightly  in  the  foot, 
so  that  he  was  obliged  to  hide  himself  in  the  bushes, 
and,  after  the  huntsmen  were  gone,  limp  slowly 
home. 

One  of  them,  however,  determined  to  follow  him 
at  a  distance,  and  discover  where  he  went.  What 
was  his  surprise  at  seeing  him  go  up  to  a  door  and 
knock,  and  to  hear  him  say,  "  Dear  little  sister,  let 
me  in."  The  door  was  only  opened  a  little  way, 
and  quickly  shut ;  but  the  huntsman  had  seen  enough 
to  make  him  full  of  wonder,  when  he  returned  and 
described  to  the  king  what  he  had  seen. 

"  We  will  have  one  more  chase  to-morrow,"  said 
the  king,  "  and  discover  this  mystery." 

In  the  meantime  the  loving  sister  was  terribly 
alarmed  at  finding  the  stag's  foot  wounded  and 
bleeding.  She  quickly  washed  off  the  blood,  and, 
after  bathing  the  wound,  placed  healing  herbs  on  it 


The  Enchanted  Stag  $i 

and  said,  "  Lie  down  on  your  bed,  dear  fawn,  and 
the  wound  will  soon  heal,  if  you  rest  your  foot." 

In  the  morning  the  wound  was  so  much  better 
that  the  fawn  felt  the  foot  almost  as  strong-  as  ever, 
and  so,  when  he  again  heard  the  holloa  of  the 
hunters,  he  could  not  rest.  "  Oh,  dear  sister,  I  must 
go  once  more ;  it  will  be  easy  for  me  to  avoid  the 
huntors  now,  and  my  foot  feels  quite  well;  they 
will  not  hunt  me  unless  they  see  me  running,  and  I 
don't  mean  to  do  that." 

But  his  sister  wept,  and  begged  him  not  to  go: 
"  If  they  kill  you,  dear  fawn,  I  shall  be  here  alone 
in  the  forest,  forsaken  by  the  whole  world." 

"  And  I  shall  die  of  grief,"  he  said,  "  if  I  remain 
here  listening  to  the  hunter's  horn." 

So  at  length  his  sister,  with  a  heavy  heart,  set 
him  free,  and  he  bounded  away  joyfully  into  the 
forest. 

As  soon  as  the  king  caught  sight  of  him,  he  said 
to  the  huntsmen,  "  Follow  that  stag  about,  but  don't 
hurt  him."  So  they  hunted  him  all  day,  but  at  the 
approach  of  sunset  the  king  said  to  the  hunter  who 
had  followed  the  fawn  the  day  before,  "  Come  and 
show  me  the  little  cottage." 

So  they  went  together,  and  when  the  king  saw 
it  he  sent  his  companion  home,  and  went  on  alone 
so  quickly  that  he  arrived  there  before  the  fawn; 
and,  going  up  to  the  little  door,  knocked  and  said 
softly,  "  Dear  little  sister,  let  me  in." 

As  the  door  opened,  the  king  stepped  in,  and  in 
great  astonishment  saw  a  maiden  more  beautiful 
than  he  had  ever  seen  in  his  life  standing  before 
him.    But  how  frightened  she  felt  to  see  instead  of 


32       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

her  dear  little  fawn  a  noble  gentleman  walk  in  with 
a  gold  crown  on  his  head. 

However,  he  appeared  very  friendly,  and  after  a 
little  talk  he  held  out  his  hand  to  her,  and  said, 
"  Wilt  thou  go  with  me  to  my  castle  and  be  my  dear 
wife?" 

"  Ah  yes,"  replied  the  maiden,  "  I  would  will- 
ingly; but  I  cannot  leave  my  dear  fawn:  he  must 
go  with  me  wherever  I  am." 

"  He  shall  remain  with  you  as  long  as  you  live," 
replied  the  king,  "  and  I  will  never  ask  you  to  for- 
sake him." 

While  they  were  talking,  the  fawn  came  bound- 
ing in,  looking  quite  well  and  happy.  Then  his 
sister  fastened  the  string  of  rushes  to  his  collar, 
took  it  in  her  hand,  and  led  him  away  from  the  cot- 
tage in  the  wood  to  where  the  king's  beautiful  horse 
waited  for  him. 

The  king  placed  the  maiden  before  him  on  his 
horse  and  rode  away  to  his  castle,  the  fawn  follow- 
ing by  their  side.  Soon  after,  their  marriage  was 
celebrated  with  great  splendour,  and  the  fawn  was 
taken  the  greatest  care  of,  and  played  where  he 
pleased,  or  roamed  about  the  castle  grounds  in  hap- 
piness and  safety. 

In  the  meantime  the  wicked  stepmother,  who  had 
caused  these  two  young  people  such  misery,  sup- 
posed that  the  sister  had  been  devoured  by  wild 
beasts,  and  that  the  fawn  had  been  hunted  to  death. 
Therefore  when  she  heard  of  their  happiness,  such 
envy  and  malice  arose  in  her  heart  that  she  could 
find  no  rest  till  she  had  tried  to  destroy  it. 

She  and  her  ugly  daughter  came  to  the  castle 


The  Enchanted  Stag  33 

when  the  queen  had  a  little  baby,  and  one  of  them 
pretended  to  be  a  nurse,  and  at  last  got  the  mother 
and  child  into  their  power. 

They  shut  the  queen  up  in  the  bath,  and  tried  to 
suffocate  her,  and  the  old  woman  put  her  own  ugly 
daughter  in  the  queen's  bed  that  the  king  might  not 
know  she  was  away. 

She  would  not,  however,  let  him  speak  to  her, 
but  pretended  that  she  must  be  kept  quite  quiet. 

The  queen  escaped  from  the  bath-room,  where 
the  wicked  old  woman  had  locked  her  up,  but  she 
did  not  go  far,  as  she  wanted  to  watch  over  her 
child  and  the  little  fawn. 

For  two  nights  the  baby's  nurse  saw  a  figure  of 
the  queen  come  into  the  room  and  take  up  her  baby 
and  nurse  it.  Then  she  told  the  king,  and  he  deter- 
mined to  watch  himself.  The  old  stepmother,  who 
acted  as  nurse  to  her  ugly  daughter,  whom  she  tried 
to  make  the  king  believe  was  his  wife,  had  said  that 
the  queen  was  too  weak  to  see  him,  and  never  left 
her  room.  "  There  cannot  be  two  queens,"  said  the 
king  to  himself,  "  so  to-night  I  will  watch  in  the 
nursery."  As  soon  as  the  figure  came  in  and  took 
up  her  baby,  he  saw  it  was  his  real  wife,  and  caught 
her  in  his  arms,  saying,  "  You  are  my  own  beloved 
wife,  as  beautiful  as  ever." 

The  wicked  witch  had  thrown  her  into  a  trance, 
hoping  she  would  die,  and  that  the  king  would  then 
marry  her  daughter;  but  on  the  king  speaking  to 
her,  the  spell  was  broken.  The  queen  told  the  king 
how  cruelly  she  had  been  treated  by  her  stepmother, 
and  on  hearing  this  he  became  very  angry,  and  had 
the  witch  and  her  daughter  brought  to  justice. 
3 


34       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

They  were  both  sentenced  to  die — the  daughter  to 
be  devoured  by  wild  beasts,  and  the  mother  to  be 
burnt  alive. 

No  sooner,  however,  was  she  reduced  to  ashes 
than  the  charm  which  held  the  queen's  brother  in 
the  form  of  a  stag  was  broken;  he  recovered  his 
own  natural  shape,  and  appeared  before  them  a  tall, 
handsome  young  man. 

After  this,  the  brother  and  sister  lived  happily 
and  peacefully  for  the  rest  of  their  lives. 


CHAPTER   IV 


HANSEL  AND  GRETHEL 


Near  the  borders  of  a  large  forest  dwelt  in  olden 
times  a  poor  wood-cutter,  who  had  two  children — a 
boy  named  Hansel,  and  his  sister,  Grethel.  They 
had  very  little  to  live  upon,  and  once  when  there 
was  a  dreadful  season  of  scarcity  in  the  land,  the 
poor  woodcutter  could  not  earn  sufficient  to  supply 
their  daily  food. 

One  evening,  after  the  children  were  gone  to  bed, 
the  parents  sat  talking  together  over  their  sorrow, 
and  the  poor  husband  sighed,  and  said  to  his  wife, 
who  was  not  the  mother  of  his  children,  but  their 
stepmother,  "  What  will  become  of  us,  for  I  can- 
not earn  enough  to  support  myself  and  you,  much 
less  the  children?  what  shall  we  do  with  them,  for 
they  must  not  starve  ?  " 

"  I  know  what  to  do,  husband,"  she  replied ; 
"  early  to-morrow  morning  we  will  take  the  chil- 
dren for  a  walk  across  the  forest  and  leave  them 
in  the  thickest  part;  they  will  never  find  the  way 
home  again,  you  may  depend,  and  then  we  shall 
only  have  to  work  for  ourselves." 

"  No,  wife,"  said  the  man,  "  that  I  will  never  do. 
How  could  I  have  the  heart  to  leave  my  children  all 
alone  in  the  wood,  where  the  wild  beasts  would 
come  quickly  and  devour  them  ?  " 


36       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"  Oh,  you  fool,"  replied  the  stepmother,  "  if  you 
refuse  to  do  this,  you  know  we  must  all  four  perish 
with  hunger;  you  may  as  well  go  and  cut  the  wood 
for  our  coffins."  And  after  this  she  let  him  have 
no  peace  till  he  became  quite  worn  out,  and  could 
not  sleep  for  hours,  but  lay  thinking  in  sorrow  about 
his  children. 

The  two  children,  who  also  were  too  hungry  to 
sleep,  heard  all  that  their  stepmother  had  said  to 
their  father.  Poor  little  Grethel  wept  bitter  tears 
as  she  listened,  and  said  to  her  brother,  "  What  is 
going  to  happen  to  us,  Hansel  ?  " 

"  Hush,  Grethel,"  he  whispered ;  "  don't  be  so 
unhappy;  I  know  what  to  do." 

Then  they  lay  quite  still  till  their  parents  were 
asleep. 

As  soon  as  it  was  quiet,  Hansel  got  up,  put  on  his 
little  coat,  unfastened  the  door,  and  slipped  out. 
The  moon  shone  brightly,  and  the  white  pebble 
stones  which  lay  before  the  cottage  door  glistened 
like  new  silver  money.  Hansel  stooped  and  picked 
up  as  many  of  the  pebbles  as  he  could  stuff  in  his 
little  coat  pockets.  He  then  went  back  to  Grethel 
and  said,  "  Be  comforted,  dear  little  sister,  and  sleep 
in  peace;  heaven  will  take  care  of  us."  Then  he 
laid  himself  down  again  in  bed,  and  slept  till  the 
day  broke. 

As  soon  as  the  sun  was  risen,  the  stepmother 
came  and  woke  the  two  children,  and  said,  "  Get  up, 
you  lazy  bones,  and  come  into  the  wood  with  me  to 
gather  wood  for  the  fire."  Then  she  gave  each  of 
them  a  piece  of  bread,  and  said,  "  You  must  keep 


Hansel  and  (jrethel  37 

fliat  to  eat  for  your  dinner,  and  don't  quarrel  over 
it,  for  you  will  get  nothing  more." 

Grethel  took  the  bread  under  her  charge,  for 
Hansel's  pockets  were  full  of  pebbles.  Then  the 
stepmother  led  them  a  long  way  into  the  forest. 
They  had  gone  but  a  very  short  distance  when  Han- 
sel looked  back  at  the  house,  and  this  he  did  again 
and  again. 

At  last  his  stepmother  said,  "  Why  do  you  keep 
staying  behind  and  looking  back  so?  " 

"  Oh.  mother,"  said  the  boy,  "  I  can  see  my  little 
white  cat  sitting  on  the  roof  of  the  house,  and  I  am 
sure  she  is  crying  for  me." 

''Nonsense,"  she  replied;  "that  is  not  your  cat; 
it  is  the  morning  sun  shining  on  the  chimney-pot." 

Hansel  had  seen  no  cat,  but  he  stayed  behind 
every  time  to  drop  a  white  pebble  from  his  pocket 
on  the  ground  as  they  walked. 

As  soon  as  they  reached  a  thick  part  of  the  wood, 
their  stepmother  said : 

"  Come,  children,  gather  some  wood,  and  I  will 
make  a  fire,  for  it  is  very  cold  here." 

Then  Hansel  and  Grethel  raised  quite  a  high  heap 
of  brushwood  and  faggots,  which  soon  blazed  up 
into  a  bright  fire,  and  the  woman  said  to  them : 

"  Sit  down  here,  children,  and  rest,  while  I  go 
and  find  your  father,  who  is  cutting  wood  in  the 
forest;  when  we  have  finished  our  work,  we  will 
come  again  and  fetch  you." 

Hansel  and  Grethel  seated  themselves  by  the  fire, 
and  when  noon  arrived  they  each  ate  the  piece  of 
bread  which  their  stepmother  had  given  them  for 
their  dinner;  and  as  long  as  they  heard  the  strokes 


38       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

of  the  axe  they  felt  safe,  for  they  believed  that  their 
father  was  working  near  them.  But  it  was  not  an 
axe  they  heard — only  a  branch  which  still  hung  on 
a  withered  tree,  and  was  moved  up  and  down  by  the 
wind.  At  last,  when  they  had  been  sitting  there  a 
long  time,  the  children's  eyes  became  heavy  with 
fatigue,  and  they  fell  fast  asleep.  When  they  awoke 
it  was  dark  night,  and  poor  Grethel  began  to  cry, 
and  said,  "  Oh,  how  shall  we  get  out  of  the  wood?  " 

But  Hansel  comforted  her.  "  Don't  fear,"  he 
said ;  "  let  us  wait  a  little  while  till  the  moon  rises, 
and  then  we  shall  easily  find  our  way  home." 

Very  soon  the  full  moon  rose,  and  then  Hansel 
took  his  little  sister  by  the  hand,  and  the  white 
pebble  stones,  which  glittered  like  newly-coined 
money  in  the  moonlight,  and  which  Hansel  had 
dropped  as  he  walked,  pointed  out  the  way.  They 
walked  all  the  night  through,  and  did  not  reach 
their  father's  house  till  break  of  day. 

They  knocked  at  the  door,  and  when  their  step- 
mother opened  it,  she  exclaimed :  "  You  naughty 
children,  why  have  you  been  staying  so  long  in  the 
forest?  we  thought  you  were  never  coming  back." 
But  their  father  was  overjoyed  to  see  them,  for  it 
grieved  him  to  the  heart  to  think  that  they  had  been 
left  alone  in  the  wood. 

Not  long  after  this  there  came  another  time  of 
scarcity  and  want  in  every  house,  and  the  children 
heard  their  stepmother  talking  after  they  were  in 
bed.  "The  times  are  as  bad  as  ever,"  she  said; 
"  we  have  just  half  a  loaf  left,  and  when  that  is 
gone  all  love  will  be  at  an  end.  The  children  must 
go  away ;  we  will  take  them  deeper  into  the  forest 


Hansel  and  Grcthel  39 

this  time,  and  they  will  not  be  able  to  find  their  way 
home  as  they  did  before ;  it  is  the  only  plan  to  save 
ourselves  from  starvation.  But  the  husband  felt 
heavy  at  heart,  for  he  thought  it  was  better  to  share 
the  last  morsel  with  his  children. 

His  wife  would  listen  to  nothing  he  said,  but  con- 
tinued to  reproach  him,  and  as  he  had  given  way  to 
her  the  first  time,  he  could  not  refuse  to  do  so  now. 
The  children  were  awake,  and  heard  all  the  con- 
versation; so,  as  soon  as  their  parents  slept,  Han- 
sel got  up,  intending  to  go  out  and  gather  some 
more  of  the  bright  pebbles  to  let  fall  as  he  walked, 
that  they  might  point  out  the  way  home;  but  his 
stepmother  had  locked  the  door,  and  he  could  not 
open  it.  When  he  went  back  to  his  bed  he  told  his 
little  sister  not  to  fret,  but  to  go  to  sleep  in  peace, 
for  he  was  sure  they  would  be  taken  care  of. 

Early  the  next  morning  the  stepmother  came  and 
pulled  the  children  out  of  bed,  and,  when  they  were 
dressed,  gave  them  each  a  piece  of  bread  for  their 
dinners,  smaller  than  they  had  had  before,  and  then 
they  started  on  their  way  to  the  wood. 

As  they  walked,  Hansel,  who  had  the  bread  in 
his  pocket,  broke  off  little  crumbs,  and  stopped  every 
now  and  then  to  drop  one,  turning  round  as  if  he 
was  looking  back  at  his  home. 

"  Hansel,"  said  the  woman,  "  what  are  you  stop- 
ping for  in  that  way?     Come  along  directly." 

"  I  saw  my  pigeon  sitting  on  the  roof,  and  he 
wants  to  say  good-bye  to  me,"  replied  the  boy. 

"  Nonsense,"  she  said ;  "  that  is  not  your  pigeon ; 
it  is  only  the  morning  sun  shining  on  the  chimney- 
top." 


4o       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Knozv 

But  Hansel  did  not  look  back  any  more ;  he  only 
dropped  pieces  of  bread  behind  him,  as  they  walked 
through  the  wood.  This  time  they  went  on  till  they 
reached  the  thickest  and  densest  part  of  the  forest, 
where  they  had  never  been  before  in  all  their  lives. 
Again  they  gathered  faggots  and  brushwood,  of 
which  the  stepmother  made  up  a  large  fire.  Then 
she  said,  "  Remain  here,  children,  and  rest,  while  I 
go  to  help  your  father,  who  is  cutting  wood  in  the 
forest;  when  you  feel  tired,  you  can  lie  down  and 
sleep  for  a  little  while,  and  we  will  come  and  fetch 
you  in  the  evening,  when  your  father  has  finished 
his  work." 

So  the  children  remained  alone  till  mid-day,  and 
then  Grethel  shared  her  piece  of  bread  with  Hansel, 
for  he  had  scattered  his  own  all  along  the  road  as 
they  walked.  After  this  they  slept  for  awhile,  and 
tke  evening  drew  on;  but  no  one  came  to  fetch  the 
poor  children.  When  they  awoke  it  was  quite  dark, 
and  poor  little  Grethel  was  afraid ;  but  Hansel  com- 
forted her,  as  he  had  done  before,  by  telling  her  they 
need  only  wait  till  the  moon  rose.  "  You  know,  little 
sister,"  he  said,  "  that  I  have  thrown  breadcrumbs 
all  along  the  road  we  came,  and  they  will  easily  point 
out  the  way  home." 

But  when  they  went  out  of  the  thicket  into  the 
moonlight  they  found  no  breadcrumbs,  for  the  nu- 
merous birds  which  inhabited  the  trees  of  the  forest 
had  picked  them  all  up. 

Hansel  tried  to  hide  his  fear  when  he  made  this 
sad  discovery,  and  said  to  his  sister,  "  Cheer  up, 
Grethel ;  I  dare  say  we  shall  find  our  way  home  with- 
out the  crumbs.    Let  us  try."    But  this  they  found 


Hansel  and  GtctLcl  41 

impossible,  They  wandered  about  the  whole  night, 
and  the  next  day  from  morning  till  evening ;  but  they 
could  not  get  out  of  the  wood,  and  were  so  hungry 
that  had  it  not  been  for  a  few  berries  which  they 
picked  they  must  have  starved. 

At  last  they  were  so  tired  that  their  poor  little 
legs  could  carry  them  no  farther ;  so  they  laid  them- 
selves down  under  a  tree  and  went  to  sleep.  When 
they  awoke  it  was  the  third  morning  since  they  had 
left  their  father's  house,  and  they  determined  to  try 
once  more  to  find  their  way  home ;  but  it  was  no  use, 
they  only  went  still  deeper  into  the  wood,  and  knew 
that  if  no  help  came  they  must  starve. 

About  noon,  they  saw  a  beautiful  snow-white  bird 
sitting  on  the  branch  of  a  tree,  and  singing  so  beauti- 
fully that  they  stood  still  to  listen.  When  he  had 
finished  his  song,  he  spread  out  his  wings  and  flew 
on  before  them.  The  children  followed  him,  till 
at  last  they  saw  at  a  distance  a  small  house;  and 
the  bird  flew  and  perched  on  the  roof. 

But  how  surprised  were  the  boy  and  girl,  when 
they  came  nearer,  to  find  that  the  house  was  built  of 
gingerbread,  and  ornamented  with  sweet  cakes  and 
tarts,  while  the  window  was  formed  of  barley-sugar. 
"  Oh !  "  exclaimed  Hansel,  "  let  us  stop  here  and 
have  a  splendid  feast.  I  will  have  a  piece  from  the 
roof  first,  Grethel;  and  you  can  eat  some  of  the 
barley-sugar  window,  it  tastes  so  nice."  Hansel 
reached  up  on  tiptoe,  and  breaking  off  a  piece  of  the 
gingerbread,  he  began  to  eat  with  all  his  might,  for 
he  was  very  hungry.  Grethel  seated  herself  on  the 
doorstep,  and  began  munching  away  at  the  cakes 


42       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

of  which  it  was  made.  Presently  a  voice  came  out 
of  the  cottage : 

"  Munching,  crunching,  munching, 
Who's  eating  up  my  house  ?  " 

Then  answered  the  children: 

"  The   wind,   the   wind, 
Only  the  wind," 

and  went  on  eating  as  if  they  never  meant  to  leave 
off,  without  a  suspicion  of  wrong.  Hansel,  who 
found  the  cake  on  the  roof  taste  very  good,  broke 
off  another  large  piece,  and  Grethel  had  just  taken 
out  a  whole  pane  of  barley-sugar  from  the  window, 
and  seated  herself  to  eat  it,  when  the  door  opened, 
and  a  strange-looking  old  woman  came  out  leaning 
on  a  stick. 

Hansel  and  Grethel  were  so  frightened  that  they 
let  fall  what  they  held  in  their  hands.  The  old 
woman  shook  her  head  at  them,  and  said,  "  Ah,  you 
dear  children,  who  has  brought  you  here?  Come 
in,  and  stay  with  me  for  a  little  while,  and  there 
shall  no  harm  happen  to  you."  She  seized  them  both 
by  the  hands  as  she  spoke,  and  led  them  into  the 
house.  She  gave  them  for  supper  plenty  to  eat  and 
drink — milk  and  pancakes  and  sugar,  apples  and 
nuts ;  and  when  evening  came,  Hansel  and  Grethel 
were  shown  two  beautiful  little  beds  with  white  cur- 
tains, and  they  lay  down  in  them  and  thought  they 
were  in  heaven. 

But  although   the  old   woman  pretended  to   be 


Hansel  and  Grethel  43 

friendly,  she  was  a  wicked  witch,  who  had  her  house 
built  of  gingerbread  on  purpose  to  entrap  children. 
When  once  they  were  in  her  power,  she  would  feed 
them  well  till  they  got  fat,  and  then  kill  them  and 
cook  them  for  her  dinner;  and  this  she  called  her 
feast-day.  Fortunately  the  witch  had  weak  eyes, 
and  could  not  see  very  well ;  but  she  had  a  very  keen 
scent,  as  wild  animals  have,  and  could  easily  discover 
when  human  beings  were  near.  As  Hansel  and 
Grethel  had  approached  her  cottage,  she  laughed  to 
herself  maliciously,  and  said,  with  a  sneer :  "  I  have 
them  now ;  they  shall  not  escape  from  me  again !  " 

Early  in  the  morning,  before  the  children  were 
awake,  she  was  up,  standing  by  their  beds ;  and  when 
she  saw  how  beautiful  they  looked  in  their  sleep, 
with  their  round  rosy  cheeks,  she  muttered  to  her- 
self, "  What  nice  tit-bits  they  will  be !  "  Then  she 
laid  hold  of  Hansel  with  her  rough  hand,  dragged 
him  out  of  bed,  and  led  him  to  a  little  cage  which 
had  a  lattice-door,  and  shut  him  in ;  he  might  scream 
as  much  as  he  would,  but  it  was  all  useless. 

After  this  she  went  back  to  Grethel,  and,  shaking 
her  roughly  till  she  woke,  cried :  "  Get  up,  you  lazy 
hussy,  and  draw  some  water,  that  I  may  boil  some- 
thing good  for  your  brother,  who  is  shut  up  in  a 
cage  outside  till  he  gets  fat;  and  then  I  shall  cook 
him  and  eat  him !  "  When  Grethel  heard  this  she 
began  to  cry  bitterly ;  but  it  was  all  useless,  she  was 
obliged  to  do  as  the  wicked  witch  told  her. 

For  poor  Hansel's  breakfast  the  best  of  everything 
was  cooked ;  but  Grethel  had  nothing  for  herself  but 
a  crab's  claw.  Every  morning  the  old  woman  would 
go  out  to  the  little  cage,  and  say :  "  Hansel,  stick  out 


44       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

your  finger,  that  I  may  feel  if  you  are  fat  enough 
for  eating."  But  Hansel,  who  knew  how  dim  her 
old  eyes  were,  always  stuck  a  bone  through  the  bars 
of  his  cage,  which  she  thought  was  his  finger,  for 
she  could  not  see ;  and  when  she  felt  how  thin  it  was, 
she  wondered  very  much  why  he  did  not  get  fat. 

However,  as  the  weeks  went  on,  and  Hansel 
seemed  not  to  get  any  fatter,  she  became  impatient, 
and  said  she  could  not  wait  any  longer.  "  Go, 
Grethel,"  she  cried  to  the  maiden,  "  be  quick  and 
draw  water ;  Hansel  may  be  fat  or  lean,  I  don't  care, 
to-morrow  morning  I  mean  to  kill  him,  and  cook 
him !  " 

Oh!  how  the  poor  little  sister  grieved  when  she 
was  forced  to  draw  the  water;  and,  as  the  tears 
rolled  down  her  cheeks,  she  exclaimed :  "  It  would 
have  been  better  to  be  eaten  by  wild  beasts,  or  to 
have  been  starved  to  death  in  the  woods;  then  we 
should  have  died  together !  " 

"  Stop  your  crying !  "  cried  the  old  woman ;  "  it  is 
not  of  the  least  use,  no  one  will  come  to  help  you." 

Early  in  the  morning  Grethel  was  obliged  to  go 
out  and  fill  the  great  pot  with  water,  and  hang  it 
over  the  fire  to  boil.  As  soon  as  this  was  done,  the 
old  woman  said,  "  We  will  bake  some  bread  first ;  I 
have  made  the  oven  hot,  and  the  dough  is  already 
kneaded."  Then  she  dragged  poor  little  Grethel  up 
to  the  oven  door,  under  which  the  flames  were  burn- 
ing fiercely,  and  said :  "  Creep  in  there,  and  see  if 
it  is  hot  enough  yet  to  bake  the  bread."  But  if 
Grethel  had  obeyed  her,  she  would  have  shut  the 
poor  child  in  and  baked  her  for  dinner,  instead  of 
boiling  Hansel 


Hansel  ind  Grethel  45 

Grethel,  however,  guessed  what  she  wanted  to  do, 
and  said,  "  I  don't  know  how  to  get  in  through  that 
narrow  door." 

"  Stupid  goose,"  said  the  old  woman,  "  why,  the 
oven  door  is  quite  large  enough  for  me;  just  look, 
I  could  get  in  myself."  As  she  spoke  she  stepped 
forward  and  pretended  to  put  her  head  in  the  oven. 

A  sudden  thought  gave  Grethel  unusual  strength  ; 
she  started  forward,  gave  the  old  woman  a  push 
which  sent  her  right  into  the  oven,  then  she  shut  the 
iron  door  and  fastened  the  bolt. 

Oh !  how  the  old  witch  did  howl,  it  was  quite  hor- 
rible to  hear  her.  But  Grethel  ran  away,  and  there- 
fore she  was  left  to  burn,  just  as  she  had  left  many 
poor  little  children  to  burn.  And  how  quickly 
Grethel  ran  to  Hansel,  opened  the  door  of  his  cage, 
and  cried,  "  Hansel,  Hansel,  we  are  free ;  the  old 
witch  is  dead."  He  flew  like  a  bird  out  of  his  cage 
at  these  words  as  soon  as  the  door  was  opened,  and 
the  children  were  so  overjoyed  that  they  ran  into 
each  other's  arms,  and  kissed  each  other  with  the 
greatest  love. 

And  now  that  there  was  nothing  to  be  afraid  of, 
they  went  back  into  the  house,  and  while  looking 
round  the  old  witch's  room,  they  saw  an  old  oak 
chest,  which  they  opened,  and  found  it  full  of  pearls 
and  precious  stones.  "  These  are  better  than  peb- 
bles," said  Hansel ;  and  he  filled  his  pockets  as  full 
as  they  would  hold. 

ft  I  will  carry  some  home  too,"  said  Grethel,  and 
she  held  out  her  apron,  which  held  quite  as  much  as 
Hansel's  pockets. 


4-6       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Knoiv 

"  We  will  go  now,"  he  said,  "  and  get  away  as 
soon  as  we  can  from  this  enchanted  forest." 

They  had  been  walking  for  nearly  two  hours  when 
they  came  to  a  large  sheet  of  water. 

"  What  shall  we  do  now  ?  "  said  the  boy.  "  We 
cannot  get  across,  and  there  is  no  bridge  of  any 
sort." 

"  Oh !  here  comes  a  boat,"  cried  Grethel,  but  she 
was  mistaken ;  it  was  only  a  white  duck  which  came 
swimming  towards  the  children.  "  Perhaps  she  will 
help  us  across  if  we  ask  her,"  said  the  child;  and 
she  sung,  "  Little  duck,  do  help  poor  Hansel  and 
Grethel ;  there  is  not  a  bridge,  nor  a  boat — will  you 
let  us  sail  across  on  your  white  back?  " 

The  good-natured  duck  came  near  the  bank  as 
Grethel  spoke,  so  close  indeed  that  Hansel  could  seat 
himself  and  wanted  to  take  his  little  sister  on  his 
lap,  but  she  said,  "  No,  we  shall  be  too  heavy  for  the 
kind  duck ;  let  her  take  us  over  one  at  a  time." 

The  good  creature  did  as  the  children  wished; 
she  carried  Grethel  over  first,  and  then  came  back 
for  Hansel.  And  then  how  happy  the  children  were 
to  find  themselves  in  a  part  of  the  wood  which  tht, 
remembered  quite  well,  and  as  they  walked  on,  the 
more  familiar  it  became,  till  at  last  they  caught  sight 
of  their  father's  house.  Then  they  began  to  run, 
and,  bursting  into  the  room,  threw  themselves  into 
their  father's  arms. 

Poor  man,  he  had  not  had  a  moment's  peace  since 
the  children  had  been  left  alone  in  the  forest '  he 
was  full  of  joy  at  finding  them  safe  and  well  again, 
and  now  they  had  nothing  to  fear,  for  their  wicked 
stepmother  was  dead. 


Hansel  and  Grethel  47 

But  how  surprised  the  poor  wood-cutter  was  when 
Grethel  opened  and  shook  her  little  apron  to  see  the 
glittering  pearls  and  precious  stones  scattered  about 
the  room,  while  Hansel  drew  handful  after  handful 
from  his  pockets.  From  this  moment  all  his  care 
and  sorrow  was  at  an  end,  and  the  father  lived  in 
happiness  with  his  children  till  his  death. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  STORY  OF  ALADDIN;  OR,  THE  WONDERFUL  LAMP 

In  one  of  the  large  and  rich  cities  of  China,  there 
once  lived  a  tailor  named  Mustapha.  He  was  very- 
poor.  He  could  hardly,  by  his  daily  labour,  main- 
tain himself  and  his  family,  which  consisted  only  of 
his  wife  and  a  son. 

His  son,  who  was  called  Aladdin,  was  a  very  care- 
less and  idle  fellow.  He  was  disobedient  to  his 
father  and  mother,  and  would  go  out  early  in  the 
morning  and  stay  out  all  day,  playing  in  the  streets 
and  public  places  with  idle  children  of  his  own  age. 

When  he  was  old  enough  to  learn  a  trade,  his 
father  took  him  into  his  own  shop,  and  taught  him 
how  to  use  his  needle ;  but  all  his  father's  endeavours 
to  keep  him  to  his  work  were  vain,  for  no  sooner  was 
his  back  turned,  than  he  was  gone  for  that  day. 
Mustapha  chastised  him,  but  Aladdin  was  incor- 
rigible, and  his  father,  to  his  great  grief,  was  forced 
to  abandon  him  to  his  idleness;  and  was  so  much 
troubled  about  him,  that  he  fell  sick  and  died  in  a 
few  months. 

Aladdin,  who  was  now  no  longer  restrained  by  the 
fear  of  a  father,  gave  himself  entirely  over  to  his 
idle  habits,  and  was  never  out  of  the  streets  from 
his  companions.    This  course  he  followed  till  he  was 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp    49 

fifteen  years  old,  without  giving  his  mind  to  any 
useful  pursuit,  or  the  least  reflection  on  what  would 
become  of  him.  As  he  was  one  day  playing,  accord- 
ing to  custom,  in  the  street,  with  his  evil  associates, 
a  stranger  passing  by  stood  to  observe  him. 

This  stranger  was  a  sorcerer,  known  as  the 
African  magician,  as  he  had  been  but  two  days 
arrived  from  Africa,  his  native  country. 

The  African  magician,  observing  in  Aladdin's 
countenance  something  which  assured  him  that  he 
was  a  fit  boy  for  his  purpose,  inquired  his  name  and 
history  of  some  of  his  companions,  and  when  he  had 
learnt  all  he  desired  to  know,  went  up  to  him,  and 
taking  him  aside  from  his  comrades,  said,  "  Child, 
was  not  your  father  called  Mustapha  the  tailor  ?  " 
"  Yes,  sir,"  answered  the  boy,  "  but  he  has  been  dead 
a  long  time." 

At  these  words  the  African  magician  threw  his 
arms  about  Aladdin's  neck,  and  kissed  him  several 
times,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  and  said,  "  I  am  your 
uncle.  Your  worthy  father  was  my  own  brother. 
I  knew  you  at  first  sight,  you  are  so  like  him."  Then 
he  gave  Aladdin  a  handful  of  small  money,  saying, 
"  Go,  my  son,  to  your  mother,  give  my  love  to  her,, 
and  tell  her  that  I  will  visit  her  to-morrow,  that  I 
may  see  where  my  good  brother  lived  so  long,  and 
ended  his  days." 

Aladdin  ran  to  his  mother,  overjoyed  at  the  money 
his  uncle  had  given  him.  "  Mother,"  said  he,  "  have 
I  an  uncle  ?  "  "  No,  child,"  replied  his  mother,  "  you 
have  no  uncle  by  your  father's  side  or  mine."  "  I 
am  just  now  come,"  said  Aladdin,  "  from  a  man  who 
says  he  is  my  uncle  and  my  father's  brother.     He 


50      Fairy  Talcs  Every  Child  Should  Know 

cried  and  kissed  me  when  I  told  him  my  father  was 
dead,  and  gave  me  money,  sending  his  love  to  you, 
and  promising  to  come  and  pay  you  a  visit,  that  he 
may  see  the  house  my  father  lived  and  died  in." 
"  Indeed,  child,"  replied  the  mother,  "  your  father 
had  no  brother,  nor  have  you  an  uncle." 

The  next  day  the  magician  found  Aladdin  playing 
in  another  part  of  the  town,  and  embracing  him  as 
before,  put  two  pieces  of  gold  into  his  hand,  and 
said  to  him,  "  Carry  this,  child,  to  your  mother ;  tell 
her  that  I  will  come  and  see  her  to-night,  and  bid 
her  get  us  something  for  supper;  but  first  show  me 
the  house  where  you  live." 

Aladdin  showed  the  African  magician  the  house, 
and  carried  the  two  pieces  of  gold  to  his  mother, 
who  went  out  and  bought  provisions ;  and  consider- 
ing she  wanted  various  utensils,  borrowed  them  of 
her  neighbours.  She  spent  the  whole  day  in  prepar- 
ing the  supper ;  and  at  night,  when  it  was  ready,  said 
to  her  son,  "  Perhaps  the  stranger  knows  not  how 
to  find  our  house;  go  and  bring  him,  if  you  meet 
with  him." 

Aladdin  was  just  ready  to  go,  when  the  magician 
knocked  at  the  door,  and  came  in  loaded  with  wine 
and  all  sorts  of  fruits,  which  he  brought  for  a  des- 
sert. After  he  had  given  what  he  brought  into 
Aladdin's  hands,  he  saluted  his  mother,  and  desired 
her  to  show  him  the  place  where  his  brother  Mus- 
tapha  used  to  sit  on  the  sofa ;  and  when  she  had  so 
done,  he  fell  down  and  kissed  it  several  times,  cry- 
ing out,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  "  My  poor  brother ! 
how  unhappy  am  I,  not  to  have  come  soon  enough 
to  give  you  one  last  embrace."     Aladdin's  mother 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or.  The  Wonderful  Lamp     51 

desired  him  to  sit  down  in  the  same  place,  but  he 
declined.  "  No,"  said  he,  "  I  shall  not  do  that ;  but 
give  me  leave  to  sit  opposite  to  it,  that  although  T 
see  not  the  master  of  a  family  so  dear  to  me,  I  may 
at  least  behold  the  place  where  he  used  to  sit." 

When  the  magician  had  made  choice  of  a  place, 
and  sat  down,  he  began  to  enter  into  discourse  with 
Aladdin's  mother.  "  My  good  sister,"  said  he,  "  do 
not  be  surprised  at  your  never  having  seen  me  all 
the  time  you  have  been  married  to  my  brother  Mus- 
tapha  of  happy  memory.  I  have  been  forty  years 
absent  from  this  country,  which  is  my  native  place, 
as  well  as  my  late  brother's;  and  during  that  time 
have  travelled  into  the  Indies,  Persia,  Arabia,  Syria, 
and  Egypt,  and  afterward  crossed  over  into  Africa, 
where  I  took  up  my  abode.  At  last,  as  it  is  natural 
for  a  man,  I  was  desirous  to  see  my  native  country 
again,  and  to  embrace  my  dear  brother ;  and  finding 
I  had  strength  enough  to  undertake  so  long  a  jour- 
ney, I  made  the  necessary  preparations,  and  set  out. 
Nothing  ever  afflicted  me  so  much  as  hearing  of 
my  brother's  death.  But  God  be  praised  for  all 
things!,  It  is  a  comfort  for  me  to  find,  as  it  were, 
my  brother  in  a  son,  who  has  his  most  remarkable 
features." 

The  African  magician  perceiving  that  the  widow 
wept  at  the  remembrance  of  her  husband,  changed 
the  conversation,  and  turning  toward  her  son,  asked 
him,  "  What  business  do  you  follow  ?  Are  you  of 
any  trade  ?  " 

At  this  question  the  youth  hung  down  his  head, 
and  was  not  a  little  abashed  when  his  mother 
answered,  "  Aladdin  is  an  idle  fellow.     His  father, 


52       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

when  alive,  strove  all  he  could  to  teach  him  his 
trade,  but  could  not  succeed;  and  since  his  death, 
notwithstanding  all  I  can  say  to  him,  he  does  noth- 
ing but  idle  away  his  time  in  the  streets,  as  you  saw 
him,  without  considering  he  is  no  longer  a  child ; 
and  if  you  do  not  make  him  ashamed  of  it,  I  despair 
of  his  ever  coming  to  any  good.  For  my  part,  I  am 
resolved,  one  of  these  days,  to  turn  him  out  of  doors, 
and  let  him  provide  for  himself." 

After  these  words,  Aladdin's  mother  burst  into 
tears ;  and  the  magician  said,  "  This  is  not  well, 
nephew;  you  must  think  of  helping  yourself,  and 
getting  your  livelihood.  There  are  many  sorts  of 
trades;  perhaps  you  do  not  like  your  father's,  and 
would  prefer  another;  I  will  endeavour  to  help  you. 
If  you  have  no  mind  to  learn  any  handicraft,  I  will 
take  a  shop  for  you,  furnish  it  with  all  sorts  of  fine 
stuffs  and  linens;  and  then  with  the  money  you 
make  of  them  you  can  lay  in  fresh  goods,  and  live 
in  an  honourable  way.  Tell  me  freely  what  you 
think  of  my  proposal;  you  shall  always  find  me 
ready  to  keep  my  word." 

This  plan  just  suited  Aladdin,  who  hated  work. 
He  told  the  magician  he  had  a  greater  inclination 
to  that  business  than  to  any  other,  and  that  he  should 
be  much  obliged  to  him  for  his  kindness.  "  Well 
then,"  said  the  African  magician,  "  I  will  carry  you 
with  me  to-morrow,  clothe  you  as  handsomely  as 
the  best  merchants  in  the  city,  and  afterward  we  wiW 
open  a  shop  as  I  mentioned." 

The  widow,  after  his  promises  of  kindness  to  her 
son,  no  longer  doubted  that  the  magician  was  her 
husband's  brother.     She  thanked  him  for  his  good 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp     53 

intentions;  and  after  having  exhorted  Aladdin  to 
render  himself  worthy  of  his  uncle's  favour,  served 
up  supper,  at  which  they  talked  of  several  indifferent 
matters ;  and  then  the  magician  took  his  leave  and 
retired. 

He  came  again  the  next  day,  as  he  had  promised, 
and  took  Aladdin  with  him  to  a  merchant,  who  sold 
all  sorts  of  clothes  for  different  ages  and  ranks, 
ready  made,  and  a  variety  of  fine  stuffs,  and  bade 
Aladdin  choose  those  he  preferred,  which  he  paid 
for. 

When  Aladdin  found  himself  so  handsomely 
equipped,  he  returned  his  uncle  thanks,  who  thus 
addressed  him :  "  As  you  are  soon  to  be  a  merchant, 
it  is  proper  you  should  frequent  these  shops,  and  be 
acquainted  with  them."  He  then  showed  him  the 
largest  and  finest  mosques,  carried  him  to  the  khans 
or  inns  where  the  merchants  and  travellers  lodged, 
and  afterward  to  the  sultan's  palace,  where  he  had 
free  access;  and  at  last  brought  him  to  his  own 
khan,  where,  meeting  with  some  merchants  he  had 
become  acquainted  with  since  his  arrival,  he  gave 
them  a  treat,  to  bring  them  and  his  pretended 
nephew  acquainted. 

This  entertainment  lasted  till  night,  when  Aladdin 
would  have  taken  leave  of  his  uncle  to  go  home ; 
the  magician  would  not  let  him  go  by  himself,  but 
conducted  him  to  his  mother,  who,  as  soon  as  she 
saw  him  so  well  dressed,  was  transported  with  joy, 
and  bestowed  a  thousand  blessings  upon  the  magi- 
cian. 

Early  the  next  morning  the  magician  called  again 
for  Aladdin,  and  said  he  would  take  him  to  spend 


54       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

that  day  in  the  country,  and  on  the  next  he  would 
purchase  the  shop.  He  then  led  him  out  at  one  of 
the  gates  of  the  city,  to  some  magnificent  palaces, 
to  each  of  which  belonged  beautiful  gardens,  into 
which  anybody  might  enter.  At  every  building  he 
came  to,  he  asked  Aladdin  if  he  did  not  think  it  fine ; 
and  the  youth  was  ready  to  answer  when  any  one 
presented  itself,  crying  out,  "  Here  is  a  finer  house, 
uncle,  than  any  we  have  yet  seen."  By  this  artifice, 
the  cunning  magician  led  Aladdin  some  way  into  the 
country ;  and  as  he  meant  to  carry  him  farther,  to 
execute  his  design,  he  took  an  opportunity  to  sit 
down  in  one  of  the  gardens,  on  the  brink  of  a  fount- 
ain of  clear  water,  which  discharged  itself  by  a 
lion's  mouth  of  bronze  into  a  basin,  pretending  to 
be  tired :  "  Come,  nephew,"  said  he,  "  you  must  be 
weary  as  well  as  I ;  let  us  rest  ourselves,  and  we 
shall  be  better  able  to  pursue  our  walk." 

The  magician  next  pulled  from  his  girdle  a  hand- 
kerchief with  cakes  and  fruit,  and  during  this  short 
repast  he  exhorted  his  nephew  to  leave  off  bad  com- 
pany, and  to  seek  that  of  wise  and  prudent  men,  to 
improve  by  their  conversation ;  "  for,"  said  he,  "  you 
will  soon  be  at  man's  estate,  and  you  cannot  too 
early  begin  to  imitate  their  example."  When  they 
had  eaten  as  much  as  they  liked,  they  got  up,  and 
pursued  their  walk  through  gardens  separated  from 
one  another  only  by  small  ditches,  which  marked  out 
the  limits  without  interrupting  the  communication; 
so  great  was  the  confidence  the  inhabitants  reposed 
in  each  other.  By  this  means  the  African  magician 
drew  Aladdin  insensibly  beyond  the  gardens,  and 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp     55 

crossed  the  country,  till  they  nearly  reached  the 
mountains. 

At  last  they  arrived  between  two  mountains  of 
moderate  height  and  equal  size,  divided  by  a  narrow 
valley,  which  was  the  place  where  the  magician  in- 
tended to  execute  the  design  that  had  brought  him 
from  Africa  to  China.  "  We  will  go  no  farther 
now,"  said  he  to  Aladdin ;  "  I  will  show  you  here 
some  extraordinary  things,  which,  when  you  have 
seen,  you  will  thank  me  for:  but  while  I  strike  a 
light,  gather  up  all  the  loose  dry  sticks  you  can  see, 
to  kindle  a  fire  with." 

Aladdin  found  so  many  dried  sticks,  that  he  soon 
collected  a  great  heap.  The  magician  presently  set 
them  on  fire ;  and  when  they  were  in  a  blaze,  threw 
in  some  incense,  pronouncing  several  magical  words, 
which  Aladdin  did  not  understand. 

He  had  scarcely  done  so  when  the  earth  opened 
just  before  the  magician,  and  discovered  a  stone 
with  a  brass  ring  fixed  in  it.  Aladdin  was  so  fright- 
ened that  he  would  have  run  away,  but  the  magician 
caught  hold  of  him.  and  gave  him  such  a  box  on  the 
ear  that  he  knocked  him  down.  Aladdin  got  up 
trembling,  and  with  tears  in  his  eyes  said  to  the 
magician,  "  What  have  I  done,  uncle,  to  be  treated 
in  this  severe  manner?"  "I  am  your  uncle," 
answered  the  magician ;  "  I  supply  the  place  of  your 
father,  and  you  ought  to  make  no  reply.  But  child," 
added  he,  softening,  "  do  not  be  afraid ;  for  I  shall 
not  ask  anything  of  you,  but  that  you  obey  me  punc- 
tually, if  you  would  reap  the  advantages  which  I 
intend  you.  Know,  then,  that  under  this  stone  there 
is  hidden  a  treasure,  destined  to  be  yours,  and  which 


5&       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

will  make  you  richer  than  the  greatest  monarch  in 
the  world.  No  person  but  yourself  is  permitted  to 
lift  this  stone,  or  enter  the  cave ;  so  you  must  punc- 
tually execute  what  I  may  command,  for  it  is  a 
matter  of  great  consequence  both  to  you  and  me." 

Aladdin,  amazed  at  all  he  saw  and  heard,  forgot 
what  was  past,  and  rising  said,  "  Well,  uncle,  what 
is  to  be  done?  Command  me,  I  am  ready  to  obey." 
"  I  am  overjoyed,  child,"  said  the  African  magician, 
embracing  him.  "  Take  hold  of  the  ring,  and  lift 
up  that  stone."  "  Indeed,  uncle,"  replied  Aladdin, 
"  I  am  not  strong  enough ;  you  must  help  me." 
"  You  have  no  occasion  for  my  assistance," 
answered  the  magician ;  "  if  I  help  you,  we  shall  be 
able  to  do  nothing.  Take  hold  of  the  ring,  and  lift 
it  up ;  you  will  find  it  will  come  easily."  Aladdin  did 
as  the  magician  bade  him,  raised  the  stone  with  ease, 
and  laid  it  on  one  side. 

When  the  stone  was  pulled  up,  there  appeared  a 
staircase  about  three  or  four  feet  deep,  leading  to  a 
door.  "  Descend,  my  son,"  said  the  African  magi- 
cian, "  those  steps,  and  open  that  door.  It  will  lead 
you  into  a  palace,  divided  into  three  great  halls.  In 
each  of  these  you  will  see  four  large  brass  cisterns 
placed  on  each  side,  full  of  gold  and  silver ;  but  take 
care  you  do  not  meddle  with  them.  Before  you 
enter  the  first  hall,  be  sure  to  tuck  up  your  robe, 
wrap  it  about  you,  and  then  pass  through  the  second 
into  the  third  without  stopping.  Above  all  things, 
have  a  care  that  you  do  not  touch  the  walls  so  much 
as  with  your  clothes;  for  if  you  do,  you  will  die 
instantly.  At  the  end  of  the  third  hall,  you  will  find 
a  door  which  opens  into  a  garden,  planted  with  fine 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp     57 

trees  loaded  with  fruit.  Walk  directly  across  the 
garden  to  a  terrace,  where  you  will  see  a  niche  be- 
fore you,  and  in  that  niche  a  lighted  lamp.  Take 
the  lamp  down  and  put  it  out.  When  you  have 
thrown  away  the  wick  and  poured  out  the  liquor, 
put  it  in  your  waistband  and  bring  it  to  me.  Do  not 
be  afraid  that  the  liquor  will  spoil  your  clothes,  for 
it  is  not  oil,  and  the  lamp  will  be  dry  as  soon  as  it 
is  thrown  out." 

After  these  words  the  magician  drew  a  ring  off 
his  finger,  and  put  it  on  one  of  Aladdin's,  saying, 
"  It  is  a  talisman  against  all  evil,  so  long  as  you 
obey  me.  Go,  therefore,  boldly,  and  we  shall  both 
be  rich  all  our  lives." 

Aladdin  descended  the  steps,  and,  opening  the 
door,  found  the  three  halls  just  as  the  African  ma- 
gician had  described.  He  went  through  them  with 
all  the  precaution  the  fear  of  death  could  inspire, 
crossed  the  garden  without  stopping,  took  down  the 
lamp  from  the  niche,  threw  out  the  wick  and  the 
liquor,  and,  as  the  magician  had  desired,  put  it  in 
his  waistband.  But  as  he  came  down  from  the  ter- 
race, seeing  it  was  perfectly  dry,  he  stopped  in  the 
garden  to  observe  the  trees,  which  were  loaded  with 
extraordinary  fruit  of  different  colours  on  each  tree. 
Some  bore  fruit  entirely  white,  and  some  clear  and 
transparent  as  crystal;  some  pale  red,  and  others 
deeper;  some  green,  blue,  and  purple,  and  others 
yellow ;  in  short,  there  was  fruit  of  all  colours.  The 
white  were  pearls ;  the  clear  and  transparent, 
diamonds ;  the  deep  red,  rubies ;  the  paler,  balas 
rubies;  the  green,  emeralds;  the  blue,  turquoises; 
the  purple,  amethysts;    and    the  yellow,  sapphires. 


58       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Aladdin,  ignorant  of  their  value,  would  have  pre- 
ferred figs,  or  grapes,  or  pomegranates ;  but  as  he 
had  his  uncle's  permission,  he  resolved  to  gather 
some  of  every  sort.  Having  filled  the  two  new 
purses  his  uncle  had  bought  for  him  with  his  clothes, 
he  wrapped  some  up  in  the  skirts  of  his  vest,  and 
crammed  his  bosom  as  full  as  it  could  hold. 

Aladdin,  having  thus  loaded  himself  with  riches 
of  which  he  knew  not  the  value,  returned  through 
the  three  halls  with  the  utmost  precaution,  and  soon 
arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  where  the  African 
magician  awaited  him  with  the  utmost  impatience. 
As  soon  as  Aladdin  saw  him,  he  cried  out,  "  Pray, 
uncle,  lend  me  your  hand,  to  help  me  out."  "  Give 
me  the  lamp  first,"  replied  the  magician ;  "  it  will  be 
troublesome  to  you."  "  Indeed,  uncle,"  answered 
Aladdin,  "  I  cannot  now,  but  I  will  as  soon  as  I  am 
up."  The  African  magician  was  determined  that  he 
would  have  the  lamp  before  he  would  help  him  up: 
and  Aladdin,  who  had  encumbered  himself  so  much 
with  his  fruit  that  he  could  not  well  get  at  it,  refused 
to  give  it  to  him  till  he  was  out  of  the  cave.  The 
African  magician,  provoked  at  this  obstinate  refusal, 
flew  into  a  passion,  threw  a  little  of  his  incense  into 
the  fire,  and  pronounced  two  magical  words,  when 
the  stone  which  had  closed  the  mouth  of  the  stair- 
case moved  into  its  place,  with  the  earth  over  it  in 
the  same  manner  as  it  lay  at  the  arrival  of  the 
magician  and  Aladdin. 

This  action  of  the  magician  plainly  revealed  to 
Aladdin  that  he  was  no  uncle  of  his,  but  one  who 
designed  him  evil.  The  truth  was  that  he  had 
learnt  from  his  maaric  books  the  secret  and  the  value 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp     59 

of  this  wonderful  lamp,  the  owner  of  which  would 
be  made  richer  than  any  earthly  ruler,  and  hence  his 
journey  to  China.  His  art  had  also  told  him  that 
he  was  not  permitted  to  take  it  himself,  but  must 
receive  it  as  a  voluntary  gift  from  the  hands  of  an- 
other person.  Hence  he  employed  young  Aladdin, 
and  hoped  by  a  mixture  of  kindness  and  authority  to 
make  him  obedient  to  his  word  and  will.  When  he 
found  that  his  attempt  had  failed,  he  set  out  to  re- 
turn to  Africa,  but  avoided  the  town,  lest  any  person 
who  had  seen  him  leave  in  company  with  Aladdin 
should  make  inquiries  after  the  youth.  Aladdin 
being  suddenly  enveloped  in  darkness,  cried,  and 
called  out  to  his  uncle  to  tell  him  he  was  ready  to 
give  him  the  lamp ;  but  in  vain,  since  his  cries  could 
not  be  heard.  He  descended  to  the  bottom  of  the 
steps,  with  a  design  to  get  into  the  palace,  but  the 
door,  which  was  opened  before  by  enchantment,  was 
now  shut  by  the  same  means.  He  then  redoubled 
his  cries  and  tears,  sat  down  on  the  steps  without 
any  hopes  of  ever  seeing  light  again,  and  in  an  ex- 
pectation of  passing  from  the  present  darkness  to 
a  speedy  death.  In  this  great  emergency  he  said, 
"  There  is  no  strength  or  power  but  in  the  great 
and  high  God  " :  and  in  joining  his  hands  to  pray  he 
rubbed  the  ring  which  the  magician  had  put  on  his 
finger.  Immediately  a  genie  of  frightful  aspect  ap- 
peared, and  said,  "  What  wouldst  thou  have  ?  I  am 
ready  to  obey  thee.  I  serve  him  who  possesses  the 
ring  on  thy  finger;  I,  and  the  other  slaves  of  that 
ring." 

At  another  time  Aladdin  would  have  been  fright- 
ened at  the  sight  of  so  extraordinary  a  figure,  but 


6o       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

the  danger  he  was  in  made  him  answer  without  hesi- 
tation, "  Whoever  thou  art,  deliver  me  from  this 
place."  He  had  no  sooner  spoken  these  words,  than 
he  found  himself  on  the  very  spot  where  the  ma- 
gician had  last  left  him,  and  no  sign  of  cave  or 
opening,  nor  disturbance  of  the  earth.  Returning 
God  thanks  to  find  himself  once  more  in  the  world, 
he  made  the  best  of  his  way  home.  When  he  got 
within  his  mother's  door,  the  joy  to  see  her  and  his 
weakness  for  want  of  sustenance  made  him  so  faint 
that  he  remained  for  a  long  time  as  dead.  As  soon 
as  he  recovered,  he  related  to  his  mother  all  that  had 
happened  to  him,  and  they  were  both  very  vehe- 
ment in  their  complaints  of  the  cruel  magician. 
Aladdin  slept  very  soundly  till  late  the  next  morning, 
when  the  first  thing  he  said  to  his  mother  was,  that 
he  wanted  something  to  eat,  and  wished  she  would 
give  him  his  breakfast.  "  Alas !  child,"  said  she,  "  I 
have  not  a  bit  of  bread  to  give  you ;  you  ate  up  all 
the  provisions  I  had  in  the  house  yesterday;  but  I 
have  a  little  cotton  which  I  have  spun ;  I  will  go  and 
sell  it,  and  buy  bread  and  something  for  our  dinner." 
"Mother,"  replied  Aladdin,  "keep  your  cotton  for 
another  time,  and  give  me  the  lamp  I  brought  home 
with  me  yesterday;  I  will  go  and  sell  it,  and  the 
money  I  shall  get  for  it  will  serve  both  for  break- 
fast and  dinner,  and  perhaps  supper  too." 

Aladdin's  mother  took  the  lamp  and  said  to  her 
son,  "  Here  it  is,  but  it  is  very  dirty ;  if  it  were  a 
little  cleaner  I  believe  it  would  bring  something 
more."  She  took  some  fine  sand  and  water  to  clean 
it;  but  had  no  sooner  begun  to  rub  it,  than  in  an 
instant  a  hideous  genie  of  gigantic  size  appeared 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp    61 

before  her,  and  said  to  her  in  a  voice  of  thunder, 
"  What  wouldst  thou  have  ?  I  am  ready  to  obey 
thee  as  thy  slave,  and  the  slave  of  all  those  who  have 
that  lamp  in  their  hands;  I  and  the  other  slaves  of 
the  lamp." 

Aladdin's  mother,  terrified  at  the  sight  of  the 
genie,  fainted ;  when  Aladdin,  who  had  seen  such  a 
phantom  in  the  cavern,  snatched  the  lamp  out  of 
his  mother's  hand,  and  said  to  the  genie  boldly,  "  I 
am  hungry,  bring  me  something  to  eat."  The  genie 
disappeared  immediately,  and  in  an  instant  returned 
Mvith  a  large  silver  tray,  holding  twelve  covered 
dishes  of  the  same  metal,  which  contained  the  most 
delicious  viands ;  six  large  white  bread  cakes  on  two 
plates,  two  flagons  of  wine,  and  two  silver  cups. 
All  these  he  placed  upon  a  carpet  and  disappeared ; 
this  was  done  before  Aladdin's  mother  recovered 
from  her  swoon. 

Aladdin  had  fetched  some  water,  and  sprinkled  it 
in  her  face  to  recover  her.  Whether  that  or  the 
smell  of  the  meat  effected  her  cure,  it  was  not  long 
before  she  came  to  herself.  "  Mother,"  said  Alad- 
din, "be  not  afraid:  get  up  and  eat;  here  is  what 
will  put  you  in  heart,  and  at  the  same  time  satisfy 
my  extreme  hunger." 

His  mother  was  much  surprised  to  see  the  great 
tray,  twelve  dishes,  six  loaves,  the  two  flagons  and 
cups,  and  to  smell  the  savoury  odour  which  exhaled 
from  the  dishes.  "  Child,"  said  she,  "  to  whom  are 
we  obliged  for  this  great  plenty  and  liberality  ?  Has 
the  sultan  been  made  acquainted  with  our  poverty, 
and  had  compassion  on  us?"  "It  is  no  matter, 
mother,"  said  Aladdin,  "  let  us  sit  down  and  eat ; 


62       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

for  you  have  almost  as  much  need  of  a  good  break- 
fast as  myself ;  when  we  have  done,  I  will  tell  you." 
Accordingly,  both  mother  and  son  sat  down  and  ate 
with  the  better  relish  as  the  table  was  so  well  fur- 
nished. But  all  the  time  Aladdin's  mother  could 
not  forbear  looking  at  and  admiring  the  tray  and 
dishes,  though  she  could  not  judge  whether  they 
were  silver  or  any  other  metal,  and  the  novelty  more 
than  the  value  attracted  her  attention. 

The  mother  and  son  sat  at  breakfast  till  it  was 
dinner-time,  and  then  they  thought  it  would  be  best 
to  put  the  two  meals  together;  yet,  after  this  they 
found  they  should  have  enough  left  for  supper,  and 
two  meals  for  the  next  day. 

When  Aladdin's  mother  had  taken  away  and  set 
by  what  was  left,  she  went  and  sat  down  by  her  son 
on  the  sofa,  saying,  "  I  expect  now  that  you  should 
satisfy  my  impatience,  and  tell  me  exactly  what 
passed  between  the  genie  and  you  while  I  was  in  a 
swoon  " ;  which  he  readily  complied  with. 

She  was  in  as  great  amazement  at  what  her  son 
told  her,  as  at  the  appearance  of  the  genie ;  and  said 
to  him,  "  But,  son,  what  have  we  to  do  with  genies  ? 
I  never  heard  that  any  of  my  acquaintance  had  ever 
seen  one.  How  came  that  vile  genie  to  address  him- 
self to  me,  and  not  to  you,  to  whom  he  had  appeared 
before  in  the  cave  ?  "  "  Mother,"  answered  Aladdin, 
"  the  genie  you  saw  is  not  the  one  who  appeared  to 
me.  If  you  remember,  he  that  I  first  saw  called  him- 
self the  slave  of  the  ring  on  my  finger ;  and  this  you 
saw,  called  himself  the  slave  of  the  lamp  you  had  in 
your  hand ;  but  I  believe  you  did  not  hear  hiim  for 
I  think  you  fainted  as  soon  as  he  began  to  speak." 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp    63 

"  What !  "  cried  the  mother,  "  was  your  lamp  then 
the  occasion  of  that  cursed  genie's  addressing  him- 
self rather  to  me  than  to  you?  Ah !  my  son,  take  it 
out  of  my  sight,  and  put  it  where  you  please.  I  had 
rather  you  would  sell  it  than  run  the  hazard  of  being 
frightened  to  death  again  by  touching  it;  and  if 
you  would  take  my  advice,  you  would  part  also  with 
the  ring,  and  not  have  anything  to  do  with  genies, 
who,  as  our  prophet  has  told  us,  are  only  devils." 

"  With  your  leave,  mother,"  replied  Aladdin,  "  I 
shall  now  take  care  how  I  sell  a  lamp  which  may  be 
so  serviceable  both  to  you  and  me.  That  false  and 
wicked  magician  would  not  have  undertaken  so  long 
a  journey  to  secure  this  wonderful  lamp  if  he  had 
not  known  its  value  to  exceed  that  of  gold  and 
silver.  And  since  we  have  honestly  come  by  it,  let 
us  make  a  profitable  use  of  it,  without  making  any 
great  show,  and  exciting  the  envy  and  jealousy  of 
our  neighbours.  However,  since  the  genies  frighten 
you  so  much,  I  will  take  it  out  of  your  sight,  and 
put  it  where  I  may  find  it  when  I  want  it.  The  ring 
I  cannot  resolve  to  part  with ;  for  without  that  you 
had  never  seen  me  again;  and  though  I  am  alive 
now,  perhaps,  if  it  were  gone,  I  might  not  be  so 
some  moments  hence;  therefore,  I  hope  you  will 
give  me  leave  to  keep  it,  and  to  wear  it  always  on 
my  finger."  Aladdin's  mother  replied  that  he  might 
do  what  he  pleased;  for  her  part,  she  would  have 
nothing  to  do  with  genies,  and  never  say  anything 
more  about  them. 

By  the  next  night  they  had  eaten  all  the  pro- 
visions the  genie  had  brought;  and  the  next  day 
Aladdin,  who  could  not  bear  the  thoughts  of  hunger, 


64       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

putting  one  of  the  silver  dishes  under  his  vest,  went 
out  early  to  sell  it,  and  addressing  himself  to  a  Jew 
whom  he  met  in  the  streets,  took  him  aside,  and 
pulling  out  the  plate,  asked  him  if  he  would  buy  it. 
The  cunning  Jew  took  the  dish,  examined  it,  and 
as  soon  as  he  found  that  it  was  good  silver,  asked 
Aladdin  at  how  much  he  valued  it.  Aladdin,  who 
had  never  been  used  to  such  traffic,  told  him  he 
would  trust  to  his  judgment  and  honour.  The  Jew 
was  somewhat  confounded  at  this  plain  dealing; 
and  doubting  whether  Aladdin  understood  the 
-material  or  the  full  value  of  what  he  offered  to  sell, 
took  a  piece  of  gold  out  of  his  purse  and  gave  it 
liirn,  though  it  was  but  the  sixtieth  part  of  the  worth 
of  the  plate.  Aladdin,  taking  the  money  very 
eagerly,  retired  with  so  much  haste,  that  the  Jew, 
not  content  with  the  exorbitancy  of  his  profit,  was 
vexed  he  had  not  penetrated  into  his  ignorance,  and 
was  going  to  run  after  him,  to  endeavour  to  get 
some  change  out  of  the  piece  of  gold;  but  he  ran 
so  fast,  and  had  got  so  far,  that  it  would  have  been 
impossible  for  him  to  overtake  him. 

Before  Aladdin  went  home,  he  called  at  a  baker's, 
bought  some  cakes  of  bread,  changed  his  money, 
and  on  his  return  gave  the  rest  to  his  mother,  who 
went  and  purchased  provisions  enough  to  last  them 
some  time.  After  this  manner  they  lived,  till  Alad- 
din had  sold  the  twelve  dishes  singly,  as  necessity 
pressed,  to  the  Jew,  for  the  same  money ;  who,  after 
the  first  time,  durst  not  offer  him  less,  for  fear  of 
losing  so  good  a  bargain.  When  he  had  sold  the 
last  dish,  he  had  recourse  to  the  tray,  which  weighed 
ten  times  as  much  as  the  dishes,  and  would  have 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp     65 

carried  it  to  his  old  purchaser,  but  that  it  was  too 
large  and  cumbersone ;  therefore  he  was  obliged  to 
bring  him  home  with  him  to  his  mother's,  where, 
after  the  Jew  had  examined  the  weight  of  the  tray, 
he  laid  down  ten  pieces  of  gold,  with  which  Aladdin 
was  very  well  satisfied. 

When  all  the  money  was  spent,  Aladdin  had  re- 
course again  to  the  lamp.  He  took  it  in  his  hands, 
looked  for  the  part  where  his  mother  had  rubbed  it 
with  the  sand,  rubbed  it  also,  when  the  genie  im- 
mediately appeared,  and  said,  "  What  wouldst  thou 
have?  I  am  read)'  to  obey  thee  as  thy  slave,  and 
the  slave  of  all  those  who  have  that  lamp  in  their 
hands ;  I,  and  the  other  slaves  of  the  lamp."  "  I 
am  hungry,"  said  Aladdin,  "  bring  me  something 
to  eat."  The  genie  disappeared,  and  presently  re- 
turned with  a  tray,  the  same  number  of  covered 
dishes  as  before,  set  them  down,  and  vanished. 

As  soon  as  Aladdin  found  that  their  provisions 
were  again  expended,  he  took  one  of  the  dishes, 
and  went  to  look  for  his  Jew  chapman ;  but  passing 
by  a  goldsmith's  shop,  the  goldsmith  perceiving  him, 
called  to  him,  and  said,  "  My  lad,  I  imagine  that  you 
have  something  to  sell  to  the  Jew,  whom  I  often 
see  you  visit ;  but  perhaps  you  do  not  know  that  he 
is  the  greatest  rogue  even  among  the  Jews.  I  will 
give  you  the  full  worth  of  what  you  have  to  sell,  or 
I  will  direct  you  to  other  merchants  who  will  not 
cheat  you." 

This  offer  induced  Aladdin  to  pull  his  plate  from 
under  his  vest  and  show  it  to  the  goldsmith ;  who  at 
first  sight  saw  that  it  was  made  of  the  finest  silver, 
and  asked  him  if  he  had  sold  such  as  that  to  the 


66       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Jew;  when  Aladdin  told  him  that  he  had  sold  him 
twelve  such,  for  a  piece  of  gold  each.  "  What  a  vil 
lain  !  "  cried  the  goldsmith.  "  But,"  added  he,  "  my 
son,  what  is  past  cannot  be  recalled.  By  showing 
you  the  value  of  this  plate,  which  is  of  the  finest 
silver  we  use  in  our  shops,  I  will  let  you  see  how 
much  the  Jew  has  cheated  you." 

The  goldsmith  took  a  pair  of  scales,  weighed  the 
dish,  and  assured  him  that  his  plate  would  fetch  by 
weight  sixty  pieces  of  gold,  which  he  offered  to  pay 
down  immediately. 

Aladdin  thanked  him  for  his  fair  dealing,  and 
never  after  went  to  any  other  person. 

Though  Aladdin  and  his  mother  had  an  inex- 
haustible treasure  in  their  lamp,  and  might  have  had 
whatever  they  wished  for,  yet  they  lived  with  the 
same  frugality  as  before,  and  it  may  easily  be  sup- 
posed that  the  money  for  which  Aladdin  had  sold 
the  dishes  and  tray  was  sufficient  to  maintain  them 
some  time. 

During  this  interval,  Aladdin  frequented  the 
shops  of  the  principal  merchants,  where  they  sold 
cloth  of  gold  and  silver,  linens,  silk  stuffs,  and 
jewellery,  and,  oftentimes  joining  in  their  conversa- 
tion, acquired  a  knowledge  of  the  world,  and  a 
desire  to  improve  himself.  By  his  acquaintance 
among  the  jewellers,  he  came  to  know  that  the  fruits 
which  he  had  gathered  when  he  took  the  lamp  were, 
instead  of  coloured  glass,  stones  of  inestimable  value ; 
but  he  had  the  prudence  not  to  mention  this  to  any 
one,  not  even  to  his  mother. 

One  day  as  Aladdin  was  walking  about  the  town, 
he  heard  an    order    proclaimed,    commanding    the 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp     67 

people  to  shut  up  their  shops  and  houses,  and  keep 
within  doors  while  the  Princess  Buddir  al  Buddoor, 
the  sultan's  daughter,  went  to  the  bath  and  returned. 

This  proclamation  inspired  Aladdin  with  eager 
desire  to  see  the  princess's  face,  which  he  determined 
to  gratify,  by  placing  himself  behind  the  door  of  the 
bath,  so  that  he  could  not  fail  to  see  her  face. 

Aladdin  had  not  long  concealed  himself  before 
the  princess  came.  She  was  attended  by  a  great 
crowd  of  ladies,  slaves,  and  mutes,  who  walked  on 
each  side  and  behind  her.  When  she  came  within 
three  or  four  paces  of  the  door  of  the  bath,  she  took 
off  her  veil,  and  gave  Aladdin  an  opportunity  of  a 
full  view  of  her  face. 

The  princess  was  a  noted  beauty :  her  eyes  were 
large,  lively,  and  sparkling;  her  smile  bewitching; 
her  nose  faultless ;  her  mouth  small ;  her  lips  ver- 
milion. It  is  not  therefore  surprising  that  Aladdin, 
who  had  never  before  seen  such  a  blaze  of  charms, 
was  dazzled  and  enchanted. 

After  the  princess  had  passed  by,  and  entered  the 
bath,  Aladdin  quitted  his  hiding-place,  and  went 
home.  His  mother  perceived  him  to  be  more 
thoughtful  and  melancholy  than  usual ;  and  asked 
what  had  happened  to  make  him  so,  or  if  he  was  ill. 
Hfee  then  told  his  mother  all  his  adventure,  and  con- 
cluded by  declaring,  "  I  love  the  princess  more  than 
I  can  express,  and  am  resolved  that  I  will  ask  her 
in  marriage  of  the  sultan." 

Aladdin's  mother  listened  with  surprise  to  what 
her  son  told  her ;  but  when  he  talked  of  asking  the 
princess  in  marriage,  she  laughed  aloud.     "  Alas ! 


68       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

child,"  said  she,  "what  are  you  thinking  of?  You 
must  be  mad  to  talk  thus." 

"  I  assure  you,  mother,"  replied  Aladdin,  "  that  I 
am  not  mad,  but  in  my  right  senses.  I  foresaw  that 
you  would  reproach  me  with  folly  and  extrava- 
gance ;  but  I  must  tell  you  once  more,  that  I  am  re- 
solved to  demand  the  princess  of  the  sultan  in  mar- 
riage ;  nor  do  I  despair  of  success.  I  have  the  slaves 
of  the  lamp  and  of  the  ring  to  help  me,  and  you 
know  how  powerful  their  aid  is.  And  I  have  an- 
other secret  to  tell  you :  those  pieces  of  glass,  which 
I  got  from  the  trees  in  the  garden  of  the  subter- 
ranean palace,  are  jewels  of  inestimable  value,  and 
fit  for  the  greatest  monarchs.  All  the  precious 
stones  the  jewellers  have  in  Bagdad  are  not  to  be 
compared  to  mine  for  size  or  beauty ;  and  I  am  sure 
that  the  offer  of  them  will  secure  the  favour  of  the 
sultan.  You  have  a  large  porcelain  dish  fit  to  hold 
them;  fetch  it,  and  let  us  see  how  they  will  look, 
when  we  have  arranged  them  according  to  their  dif- 
ferent colours. 

Aladdin's  mother  brought  the  china  dish,  when 
he  took  the  jewels  out  of  the  two  purses  in  which 
he  had  kept  them,  and  placed  them  in  order,  accord- 
ing to  his  fancy.  But  the  brightness  and  lustre 
they  emitted  in  the  daytime,  and  the  variety  of  the 
colours,  so  dazzled  the  eyes  both  of  mother  and  son, 
that  they  were  astonished  beyond  measure.  Alad- 
din's mother,  emboldened  by  the  sight  of  these 
rich  jewels,  and  fearful  lest  her  son  should  be  guilty 
of  greater  extravagance,  complied  with  his  request, 
and  promised  to  go  early  in  the  next  morning  to  the 
palace  of  the  sultan.     Aladdin  rose  before  daybreak, 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp     69 

awakened  his  mother,  pressing  her  to  go  to  the  sul- 
tan's palace,  and  to  get  admittance,  if  possible, before 
the  grand  vizier,  the  other  viziers,  and  the  great 
officers  of  state  went  in  to  take  their  seats  in  the 
divan,  where  the  sultan  always  attended  in  person. 

Aladdin's  mother  took  the  china  dish,  in  which 
they  had  put  the  jewels  the  day  before,  wrapped  it 
in  two  fine  napkins,  and  set  forward  for  the  sultan's 
palace.  When  she  came  to  the  gates,  the  grand 
vizier,  the  other  viziers,  and  most  distinguished  lords 
of  the  court  were  just  gone  in;  but  notwithstanding 
the  cro'wd  of  people  was  great,  she  got  into  the 
divan,  a  spacious  hall,  the  entrance  into  which  was 
very  magnificent.  She  placed  herself  just  before  the 
sultan,  grand  vizier,  and  the  great  lords,  who  sat  in 
council,  on  his  right  and  left  hand.  Several  causes 
were  called,  according  to  their  order,  pleaded  and 
adjudged,  until  the  time  the  divan  generally  broke 
up,  when  the  sultan,  rising,  returned  to  his  apart- 
ment, attended  by  the  grand  vizier ;  the  other  viziers 
and  ministers  of  state  then  retired,  as  also  did  all 
those  whose  business  had  called  them  thither. 

Aladdin's  mother,  seeing  the  sultan  retire,  and  all 
the  people  depart,  judged  rightly  that  he  would  not 
sit  again  that  day,  and  resolved  to  go  home;  and  on 
her  arrival  said,  with  much  simplicity,  "  Son,  I  have 
seen  the  sultan,  and  am  very  well  persuaded  he  has 
seen  me,  too,  for  I  placed  myself  just  before  him; 
but  he  was  so  much  taken  up  with  those  who  at- 
tended on  all  sides  of  him  that  I  pitied  him,  and 
wondered  at  his  patience.  At  last  I  believe  he  was 
heartily  tired,  for  he  rose  up  suddenly,  and  would 
not  hear  a  great  many  who  were  ready  prepared  to 


7<o       Fairy  Talcs  Every  Child  Should  Know 

speak  to  him,  but  went  away,  at  which  I  was  well 
pleased,  for  indeed  I  began  to  lose  all  patience,  and 
was  extremely  fatigued  with  staying  so  long.  But 
there  is  no  harm  done;  I  will  go  again  to-morrow; 
perhaps  the  sultan  may  not  be  so  busy." 

The  next  morning  she  repaired  to  the  sultan's 
palace  with  the  present,  as  early  as  the  day  before ; 
but  when  she  came  there,  she  found  the  gates  of 
the  divan  shut.  She  went  six  times  afterward  on 
the  days  appointed,  placed  herself  always  directly 
before  the  sultan,  but  with  as  little  success  as  the 
first  morning. 

On  the  sixth  day,  however,  after  the  divan  was 
broken  up,  when  the  sultan  returned  to  his  own 
apartment,  he  said  to  his  grand  vizier :  "  I  have  for 
some  time  observed  a  certain  woman,  who  attends 
constantly  every  day  that  I  give  audience,  with 
something  wrapped  up  in  a  napkin;  she  always 
stands  up  from  the  beginning  to  the  breaking  up  of 
the  audience,  and  affects  to  place  herself  just  before 
me.  If  this  woman  comes  to  our  next  audience,  do 
not  fail  to  call  her,  that  I  may  hear  what  she  has  to 
say."  The  grand  vizier  made  answer  by  lowering 
his  hand,  and  then  lifting  it  up  above  his  head,  sig- 
nifying his  willingness  to  lose  it  if  he  failed. 

On  the  next  audience  day,  when  Aladdin's  mother 
went  to  the  divan,  and  placed  herself  in  front  of  the 
sultan  as  usual,  the  grand  vizier  immediately  called 
the  chief  of  the  mace-bearers,  and  pointing  to  her 
bade  him  bring  her  before  the  sultan.  The  old 
woman  at  once  followed  the  mace-bearer,  and  when 
she  reached  the  sultan  bowed  her  head  down  to  the 
carpet  which  covered  the  platform  of  the  throne, 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp     71 

and  remained  in  that  posture  until  he  bade  her  rise, 
which  she  had  no  sooner  done,  than  he  said  to  her, 
"  Good  woman,  I  have  observed  you  to  stand  many 
days  from  the  beginning  to  the  rising  of  the  divan ; 
what  business  brings  you  here  ?  " 

After  these  words,  Aladdin's  mother  prostrated 
herself  a  second  time ;  and  when  she  arose,  said, 
"  Monarch  of  monarchs,  I  beg  of  you  to  pardon  the 
boldness  of  my  petition,  and  to  assure  me  of  your 
pardon  and  forgiveness."  "  Well,"  replied  the  sul- 
tan, "  I  will  forgive  you,  be  it  what  it  may,  and  no 
hurt  shall  come  to  you ;  speak  boldly." 

When  Aladdin's  mother  had  taken  all  these  pre- 
cautions, for  fear  of  the  sultan's  anger,  she  told  him 
faithfully  the  errand  on  which  her  son  had  sent  her, 
and  the  event  which  led  to  his  making  so  bold  a 
request  in  spite  of  all  her  remonstrances. 

The  sultan  hearkened  to  this  discourse  without 
showing  the  least  anger ;  but  before  he  gave  her  any 
answer,  asked  her  what  she  had  brought  tied  up  in 
the  napkin.  She  took  the  china  dish  which  she  had 
set  down  at  the  foot  of  the  throne,  untied  it,  and 
presented  it  to  the  sultan. 

The  sultan's  amazement  and  surprise  were  inex- 
pressible, when  he  saw  so  many  large,  beautiful  and 
valuable  jewels  collected  in  the  dish.  He  remained 
for  some  time  lost  in  admiration.  At  last,  when  he 
had  recovered  himself,  he  received  the  present  from 
Aladdin's  mother's  hand ;  saying,  "  How  rich,  how 
beautiful !  "  After  he  had  admired  and  handled  all 
the  jewels  one  after  another,  he  turned  to  his  grand 
vizier,  and  showing  him  the  dish,  said,  "  Behold, 
admire,  wonder !  and  confess  that  your  eyes  never 


72       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Knozv 

beheld  jewels  so  rich  and  beautiful  before."  The 
vizier  was  charmed.  "  Well,"  continued  the  sultan, 
"  what  sayest  thou  to  such  a  present  ?  Is  it  not 
worthy  of  the  princess  my  daughter?  And  ought 
I  not  to  bestow  her  on  one  who  values  her  at  so 
great  a  price ?  "  "I  cannot  but  own,"  replied  the 
grand  vizier,  "  that  the  present  is  worthy  of  the 
princess;  but  I  beg  of  your  majesty  to  grant  me 
three  months  before  you  come  to  a  final  resolution. 
I  hope,  before  that  time,  my  son,  whom  you  have 
regarded  with  your  favour,  will  be  able  to  make  a 
nobler  present  than  this  Aladdin,  who  is  an  entire 
stranger  to  your  majesty." 

The  sultan  granted  his  request,  and  he  said  to  the 
old  woman,  "  Good  woman,  go  home,  and  tell  your 
son  that  I  agree  to  the  proposal  you  have  made  me ; 
but  I  cannot  marry  the  princess  my  daughter  for 
three  months;  at  the  expiration  of  that  time  come 
again." 

Aladdin's  mother  returned  home  much  more  grati- 
fied than  she  had  expected,  and  told  her  son  with 
much  joy  the  condescending  answer  she  had  re- 
ceived from  the  sultan's  own  mouth;  and  that  she 
was  to  come  to  the  divan  again  that  day  three 
months. 

Aladdin  thought  himself  the  most  happy  of  all 
men  at  hearing  this  news,  and  thanked  his  mother 
for  the  pains  she  had  taken  in  the  affair,  the  good 
success  of  which  was  of  so  great  importance  to  his 
peace,  that  he  counted  every  day,  week,  and  even 
hour  as  it  passed.  When  two  of  the  three  months 
were  passed,  his  mother  one  evening,  having  no  oil 
in  the  house,  went  out  to  buy  some,  and  found  a 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp     73 

general  rejoicing — the  houses  dressed  with  foliage, 
silks,  and  carpeting,  and  every  one  striving  to  show 
their  joy  according  to  their  ability.  The  streets  were 
crowded  with  officers  in  habits  of  ceremony, 
mounted  on  horses  richly  caparisoned,  each  at- 
tended by  a  great  many  footmen.  Aladdin's  mother 
asked  the  oil  merchant  what  was  the  meaning  of  all 
this  preparation  of  public  festivity.  "  Whence  came 
you,  good  woman,"  said  he,  "  that  you  don't  know 
that  the  grand  vizier's  son  is  to  marry  the  Princess 
Buddir  al  Buddoor,  the  sultan's  daughter,  to-night? 
She  will  presently  return  from  the  bath;  and  these 
officers  whom  you  see  are  to  assist  at  the  cavalcade 
to  the  palace,  where  the  ceremony  is  to  be  solem- 
nised." 

Aladdin's  mother,  on  hearing  these  news,  ran 
home  very  quickly.  "  Child,"  cried  she,  "  you  are 
undone !  the  sultan's  fine  promises  will  come  to 
nought.  This  night  the  grand  vizier's  son  is  to 
marry  the  Princess  Buddir  al  Buddoor." 

At  this  account,  Aladdin  was  thunderstruck,  and 
he  bethought  himself  of  the  lamp,  and  of  the  genie 
who  had  promised  to  obey  him ;  and  without  indulg- 
ing in  idle  words  against  the  sultan,  the  vizier,  or 
his  son,  he  determined,  if  possible,  to  prevent  the 
marriage. 

When  Aladdin  had  got  into  his  chamber,  he  took 
the  lamp,  rubbed  it  in  the  same  place  as  before,  when 
immediately  the  genie  appeared,  and  said  to  him, 
u  What  wouldst  thou  have  ?  I  am  ready  to  obey 
thee  as  thy  slave ;  I,  and  the  other  slaves  of  the 
lamp."  "  Hear  me,"  said  Aladdin ;  "  thou  hast 
hitherto  obeyed  me,  but  now  I  am  about  to  impose 


74      Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

on  thee  a  harder  task.  The  sultan's  daughter,  who 
was  promised  me  as  my  bride,  is  this  night  married 
to  the  son  of  the  grand  vizier.  Bring  them  both 
hither  to  me  immediately  they  retire  to  their  bed- 
chamber." 

"  Master,"  replied  the  genie,  "  I  obey  you." 
Aladdin  supped    with  his    mother  as  was  their 
wont,  and  then  went  to  his  own  apartment,  and  sat 
up  to  await  the  return  of  the  genie,  according  to  his 
commands. 

In  the  mean  time  the  festivities  in  honour  of  the 
princess's  marriage  were  conducted  in  the  sultan's 
palace  with  great  magnificence.  The  ceremonies 
were  at  last  brought  to  a  conclusion,  and  the  princess 
and  the  son  of  the  vizier  retired  to  the  bedchamber 
prepared  for  them.  No  sooner  had  they  entered  it, 
and  dismissed  their  attendants,  than  the  genie,  the 
faithful  slave  of  the  lamp,  to  the  great  amazement 
and  alarm  of  the  bride  and  bridegroom,  took  up  the 
bed,  and  by  an  agency  invisible  to  them,  transported 
it  in  an  instant  into  Aladdin's  chamber,  where  he 
set  it  down.  "  Remove  the  bridegroom,"  said 
Aladdin  to  the  genie,  "  and  keep  him  a  prisoner  till 
to-morrow  dawn,  and  then  return  with  him  here." 
On  Aladdin  being  left  alone  with  the  princess,  he 
endeavoured  to  assuage  her  fears,  and  explained  to 
her  the  treachery  practiced  upon  him  by  the  sultan 
her  father.  He  then  laid  himself  down  beside  her, 
putting  a  drawn  scimitar  between  them,  to  show  that 
he  was  determined  to  secure  her  safety,  and  to  treat 
her  with  the  utmost  possible  respect.  At  break  of 
day,  the  genie  appeared  at  the  appointed  hour, 
bringing  back  the  bridegroom,  whom  by  breathing 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or.  The  Wonderful  Lamp     75 

upon  he  had  left  motionless  and  entranced  at  the 
door  of  Aladdin's  chamber  during-  the  night,  and  at 
Aladdin's  command  transported  the  couch  with  the 
bride  and  bridegroom  on  it,  by  the  same  invisible 
agency,  into  the  palace  of  the  sultan. 

At  the  instant  that  the  genie  had  set  down  the 
couch  with  the  bride  and  bridegroom  in  their  own 
chamber,  the  sultan  came  to  the  door  to  offer  his  good 
wishes  to  his  daughter.  The  grand  vizier's  son, 
who  was  almost  perished  with  cold,  by  standing  in 
his  thin  under-garmeut  all  night,  no  sooner  heard 
the  knocking  at  the  door  than  he  got  out  of  bed, 
and  ran  into  the  robing-chamber,  where  he  had  un- 
dressed himself  the  night  before. 

The  sultan  having  opened  the  door,  went  to  the 
bedside,  kissed  the  princess  on  the  forehead,  but  was 
extremely  surprised  to  see  her  look  so  melancholy. 
She  only  cast  at  him  a  sorrowful  look,  expressive 
of  great  affliction.  He  suspected  there  was  some- 
thing extraordinary  in  this  silence,  and  thereupon 
went  immediately  to  the  sultaness's  apartment,  told 
her  in  what  a  state  he  found  the  princess,  and  how 
she  had  received  him.  "  Sire,"  said  the  sultaness, 
"  I  will  go  and  see  her ;  she  will  not  receive  me  in 
the  same  manner." 

The  princess  received  her  mother  with  sighs  and 
tears,  and  signs  of  deep  dejection.  At  last,  upon 
her  pressing  on  her  the  duty  of  telling  her  all  her 
thoughts,  she  gave  to  the  sultaness  a  precise  descrip- 
tion of  all  that  happened  to  her  during  the  night ;  on 
which  the  sultaness  enjoined  on  her  the  necessity  of 
silence  and  discretion,  as  no  one'would  give  credence 
to  so  strange  a  tale.    The  grand  vizier's  son,  elated 


76       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

with  the  honour  of  being  the  sultan's  son-in-law, 
kept  silence  on  his  part,  and  the  events  of  the  night 
were  not  allowed  to  cast  the  least  gloom  on  the  fes- 
tivities on  the  following  day,  in  continued  celebra- 
tion of  the  royal  marriage. 

When  night  came,  the  bride  and  bridegroom  were 
again  attended  to  their  chamber  with  the  same  cere- 
monies as  on  the  preceding  evening.  Aladdin,  know- 
ing that  this  would  be  so,  had  already  given  his  com- 
mands to  the  genie  of  the  lamp ;  and  no  sooner  were 
they  alone  than  their  bed  was  removed  in  the  same 
mysterious  manner  as  on  the  preceding  evening ;  and 
having  passed  the  night  in  the  same  unpleasant  way, 
they  were  in  the  morning  conveyed  to  the  palace  of 
the  sultan.  Scarcely  had  they  been  replaced  in  their 
apartment,  when  the  sultan  came  to  make  his  com- 
pliments to  his  daughter,  when  the  princess  could  no 
longer  conceal  from  him  the  unhappy  treatment  she 
had  been  subject  to,  and  told  him  all  that  had  hap- 
pened as  she  had  already  related  it  to  her  mother. 
The  sultan,  on  hearing  these  strange  tidings,  con- 
sulted with  the  grand  vizier;  and  finding  from  him 
that  his  son  had  been  subjected  to  even  worse  treat- 
ment by  an  invisible  agency,  he  determined  to  de- 
clare the  marriage  to  be  cancelled,  and  all  the  fes- 
tivities, which  were  yet  to  last  for  several  days,  to 
be  countermanded  and  terminated. 

This  sudden  change  in  the  mind  of  the  sultan  gave 
rise  to  various  speculations  and  reports.  Nobody 
but  Aladdin  knew  the  secret,  and  he  kept  it  with  the 
most  scrupulous  silence;  and  neither  the  sultan  nor 
the  grand  vizier,  who  had  forgotten  Aladdin  and  his 
request,  had  the  least  thought  that  he  had  any  hand 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp     77 

in  the  strange  adventures  that  befell  the  bride  and 
bridegroom. 

On  the  very  day  that  the  three  months  contained 
in  the  sultan's  promise  expired,  the  mother  of  Alad- 
din again  went  to  the  palace,  and  stood  in  the  same 
place  in  the  divan.  The  sultan  knew  her  again,  and 
directed  his  vizier  to  have  her  brought  before  him. 

After  having  prostrated  herself,  she  made  answer, 
in  reply  to  the  sultan :  u  Sire,  I  come  at  the  end  of 
three  months  to  ask  of  you  the  fulfillment  of  the 
promise  you  made  to  my  son."  The  sultan  little 
thought  the  request  of  Aladdin's  mother  was  made  to 
him  in  earnest,  or  that  he  would  hear  any  more  of 
the  matter.  He  therefore  took  counsel  with  his 
vizier,  who  suggested  that  the  sultan  should  attach 
such  conditions  to  the  marriage  that  no  one  of  the 
humble  condition  of  Aladdin  could  possibly  fulfill. 
In  accordance  with  this  suggestion  of  the  vizier,  the 
sultan  replied  to  the  mother  of  Aladdin :  "  Good 
woman,  it  is  true  sultans  ought  to  abide  by  their 
word,  and  I  am  ready  to  keep  mine,  by  making  your 
son  happy  in  marriage  with  the  princess  my 
daughter.  But  as  I  cannot  marry  her  without  some 
further  proof  of  your  son  being  able  to  support  her 
in  royal  state,  you  may  tell  him  I  will  fulfill  my 
promise  as  soon  as  he  shall  send  me  forty  trays  of 
massy  gold,  full  of  the  same  sort  of  jewels  you  have 
already  made  me  a  present  of,  and  carried  by  the 
like  number  of  black  slaves,  who  shall  be  led  by  as 
many  young  and  handsome  white  slaves,  all  dressed 
magnificently.  On  these  conditions  I  am  ready  to 
bestow  the  princess  my  daughter  upon  him;  there- 


78       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

fore,  good  woman,  go  and  tell  him  so,  and  I  will 
wait  till  you  bring  me  his  answer." 

Aladdin's  mother  prostrated  herself  a  second  time 
before  the  sultan's  throne,  and  retired.  On  her  way 
home,  she  laughed  within  herself  at  her  son's  foolish 
imagination.  "  Where,"  said  she,  "  can  he  get  so 
many  large  gold  trays,  and  such  precious  stones  to 
fill  them?  It  is  altogether  out  of  his  power,  and  I 
believe  he  will  not  be  much  pleased  with  my  em- 
bassy this  time."  When  she  came  home,  full  of 
these  thoughts,  she  told  Aladdin  all  the  circum- 
stances of  her  interview  with  the  sultan,  and  the  con- 
ditions on  which  he  consented  to  the  marriage. 
"  The  sultan  expects  your  answer  immediately,"  said 
she ;  and  then  added,  laughing,  "  I  believe  he  may 
wait  long  enough !  " 

"  Not  so  long,  mother,  as  you  imagine,"  replied 
Aladdin.  "  This  demand  is  a  mere  trifle,  and  will 
prove  no  bar  to  my  marriage  with  the  princess.  I 
will  prepare  at  once  to  satisfy  his  request." 

Aladdin  retired  to  his  own  apartment  and  sum- 
moned the  genie  of  the  lamp,  and  required  him  to 
prepare  and  present  the  gift  immediately,  before  the 
sultan  closed  his  morning  audience,  according  to  the 
terms  in  which  it  had  been  prescribed.  The  genie 
professed  his  obedience  to  the  owner  of  the  lamp, 
and  disappeared.  Within  a  very  short  time,  a  train 
of  forty  black  slaves,  led  by  the  same  number  of 
white  slaves,  appeared  opposite  the  house  in  which 
Aladdin  lived.  Each  black  slave  carried  on  his  head 
a  basin  of  massy  gold,  full  of  pearls,  diamonds, 
rubies,  and  emeralds.  Aladdin  then  addressed  his 
mother :  "  Madam,  pray  lose  no  time ;  before  the  sul- 


Story  of  Aladdin:  or.  The  Wonderful  Lamp     79 

tan  and  the  divan  rise,  I  would  have  you  return  to 
the  palace  with  this  present  as  the  dowry  demanded 
for  the  princess,  that  he  may  judge  by  my  diligence 
and  exactness  of  the  ardent  and  sincere  desire  I 
have  to  procure  myself  the  honour  of  this  alliance." 

As  soon  as  this  magnificent  procession,  with  Alad- 
din's mother  at  its  head,  had  begun  to  march  from 
Aladdin's  house,  the  whole  city  was  filled  with  the 
crowds  of  people  desirous  to  see  so  grand  a  sight. 
The  graceful  bearing,  elegant  form,  and  wonderful 
likeness  of  each  slave ;  their  grave  walk  at  an  equal 
distance  from  each  other,  the  lustre  of  their  jewelled 
girdles,  and  the  brilliancy  of  the  aigrettes  of  precious 
stones  in  their  turbans,  excited  the  greatest  admira- 
tion in  the  spectators.  As  they  had  to  pass  through 
several  streets  to  the  palace,  the  whole  length  of  the 
way  was  lined  with  files  of  spectators.  Nothing,  in- 
deed, was  ever  seen  so  beautiful  and  brilliant  in  the 
sultan's  palace,  and  the  richest  robes  of  the  emirs  of 
his  court  were  not  to  be  compared  to  the  costly 
dresses  of  these  slaves,  whom  they  supposed  to  be 
kings. 

As  the  sultan,  who  had  been  informed  of  their  ap- 
proach, had  given  orders  for  them  to  be  admitted, 
they  met  with  no  obstacle,  but  went  into  the  divan  in 
regular  order,  one  part  turning  to  the  right  and  the 
other  to  the  left.  After  they  were  all  entered,  and 
had  formed  a  semicircle  before  the  sultan's  throne, 
the  black  slaves  laid  the  golden  trays  on  the  carpet, 
prostrated  themselves,  touching  the  carpet  with  their 
foreheads,  and  at  the  same  time  the  white  slaves 
did  the  same.     When  they  rose,  the  black  slaves  un- 


80      Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

covered  the  trays,  and  then  all  stood  with  their  arms 
crossed  over  their  breasts. 

In  the  mean  time,  Aladdin's  mother  advanced  to 
the  foot  of  the  throne,  and  having  prostrated  herself, 
said  to  the  sultan,  "  Sire,  my  son  knows  this  pres- 
ent is  much  below  the  notice  of  Princess  Buddir  al 
Buddoor;  but  hopes,  nevertheless,  that  your  majesty 
will  accept  of  it,  and  make  it  agreeable  to  the  prin- 
cess, and  with  the  greater  confidence  since  he  has 
endeavoured  to  conform  to  the  conditions  you  were 
pleased  to  impose." 

The  sultan,  overpowered  at  the  sight  of  such  more 
than  royal  magnificence,  replied  without  hesitation 
to  the  words  of  Aladdin's  mother :  "  Go  and  tell  your 
son  that  I  wait  with  open  arms  to  embrace  him ;  and 
the  more  haste  he  makes  to  come  and  receive  the 
princess  my  daughter  from  my  hands,  the  greater 
pleasure  he  will  do  me."  As  soon  as  Aladdin's 
mother  had  retired,  the  sultan  put  an  end  to  the 
audience;  and  rising  from  his  throne  ordered  that 
the  princess's  attendants  should  come  and  carry  the 
trays  into  their  mistress's  apartment,  whither  he 
went  himself  to  examine  them  with  her  at  his  leisure. 
The  fourscore  slaves  were  conducted  into  the  pal- 
ace ;  and  the  sultan,  telling  the  princess  of  their  mag- 
nificent apparel,  ordered  them  to  be  brought  before 
her  apartment,  that  she  might  see  through  the  lat- 
tices he  had  not  exaggerated  in  his  account  of  them. 

In  the  meantime  Aladdin's  mother  reached  home, 
and  showed  in  her  air  and  countenance  the  good 
news  she  brought  to  her  son.  "  My  son,"  said  she, 
"  you  may  rejoice  you  are  arrived  at  the  height  of 
your  desires.     The  sultan  has  declared  that  you  shall 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp     Si 

marry  the  Princess  Buddir  al  Buddoor.     He  waits 
for  you  with  impatience." 

Aladdin,  enraptured  with  this  news,  made  his 
mother  very  little  reply,  but  retired  to  his  chamber. 
There  he  rubbed  his  lamp,  and  the  obedient  genie 
appeared.  "  Genie,"  said  Aladdin,  "  convey  me  at 
once  to  a  bath,  and  supply  me  with  the  richest  and 
most  magnificent  robe  ever  worn  by  a  monarch." 
No  sooner  were  the  words  out  of  his  mouth  than  the 
genie  rendered  him,  as  well  as  himself,  invisible, 
and  transported  him  into  a  bath  of  the  finest  marble 
of  all  sorts  of  colours ;  where  he  was  undressed, 
without  seeing  by  whom,  in  a  magnificent  and  spa- 
cious hall.  He  was  then  well  rubbed  and  washed 
with  various  scented  waters.  After  he  had  passed 
through  several  degrees  of  heat,  he  came  out  quite 
a  different  man  from  what  he  was  before.  His  skin 
wras  clear  as  that  of  a  child,  his  body  lightsome  and 
free ;  and  when  he  returned  into  the  hall,  he  found, 
instead  of  his  own  poor  raiment,  a  rob&,  the  mag- 
nificence of  which  astonished  him.  The  genie  helped 
him  to  dress,  and  when  lie  had  done,  transported  him 
back  to  his  own  chamber,  where  he  asked  him  if 
he  had  any  other  commands.  "  Yes,"  answered 
Aladdin,  "  bring  me  a  charger  that  surpasses  in 
beauty  and  goodness  the  best  in  the  sultan's  stables ; 
with  a  saddle,  bridle,  and  other  caparisons  to  cor- 
respond with  his  value.  Furnish  also  twenty  slaves, 
as  richly  clothed  as  those  who  carried  the  present  to 
the  sultan,  to  walk  by  my  side  and  follow  me,  and 
twenty  more  to  go  before  me  in  two  ranks.  Besides 
these,  bring  my  mother  six  women  slaves  to  attend 
her,  as  richly  dressed  at  least  as  any  of  the  Princess 


82       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Buddir  al  Buddoor's,  each  carrying  a  complete  dress 
fit  for  any  sultaness.  I  want  also  ten  thousand 
pieces  of  gold  in  ten  purses ;  go,  and  make  haste." 

As  soon  as  Aladdin  had  given  these  orders,  the 
genie  disappeared,  but  presently  returned  with  the 
horse,  the  forty  slaves,  ten  of  whom  carried  each 
a  purse  containing  ten  thousand  pieces  of  gold,  and 
six  women  slaves,  each  carrying  on  her  head  a 
different  dress  for  Aladdin's  mother,  wrapt  up  in 
a  piece  of  silver  tissue,  and  presented  them  all  to 
Aladdin. 

He  presented  the  six  women  slaves  to  his  mother, 
telling  her  they  were  her  slaves,  and  that  the  dresses 
they  had  brought  were  for  her  use.  Of  the  ten 
purses  Aladdin  took  four,  which  he  gave  to  his 
mother,  telling  her,  those  were  to  supply  her  with 
necessaries ;  the  other  six  he  left  in  the  hands  of  the 
slaves  who  brought  them,  with  an  order  to  throw 
them  by  handfuls  among  the  people  as  they  went  to 
the  sultan's  palace.  The  six  slaves  who  carried  the 
purses  he  ordered  likewise  to  march  before  him, 
three  on  the  right  hand  and  three  on  the  left. 

When  Aladdin  had  thus  prepared  himself  for  his 
first  interview  with  the  sultan,  he  dismissed  the 
genie,  and  immediately  mounting  his  charger,  began 
his  march,  and  though  he  never  was  on  horseback 
before,  appeared  with  a  grace  the  most  experienced 
horseman  might  envy.  The  innumerable  concourse 
of  people  through  whom  he  passed  made  the  air  echo 
with  their  acclamations,  especially  every  time  the  six 
slaves  who  carried  the  purses  threw  handfuls  of  gold 
among  the  populace. 

On  Aladdin's  arrival  at  the  palace,  the  sultan  was 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp     83 

surprised  to  find  him  more  richly  and  magnificently 
robed  than  he  had  ever  been  himself,  and  was  im- 
pressed with  his  good  looks  and  dignity  of  manner, 
which  were  so  different  from  what  he  expected  in 
the  son  of  one  so  humble  as  Aladdin's  mother.  He 
embraced  him  with  all  the  demonstrations  of  joy, 
and  when  he  would  have  fallen  at  his  feet,  held  him 
by  the  hand,  and  made  him  sit  near  his  throne.  He 
shortly  after  led  him  amidst  the  sounds  of  trumpets, 
hautboys,  and  all  kinds  of  music,  to  a  magnificent 
entertainment,  at  which  the  sultan  and  Aladdin  ate 
by  themselves,  and  the  great  lords  of  the  court, 
according  to  their  rank  and  dignity,  sat  at  different 
tables.  After  the  feast,  the  sultan  sent  for  the  chief 
cadi,  and  commanded  him  to  draw  up  a  contract  of 
marriage  between  the  Princess  Buddir  al  Buddoor 
and  Aladdin.  When  the  contract  had  been  drawn, 
the  sultan  asked  Aladdin  if  he  would  stay  in  the  pal- 
ace and  complete  the  ceremonies  of  the  marriage 
that  day.  "  Sire,"  said  Aladdin,  "  though  great  is 
my  impatience  to  enter  on  the  honour  granted  me  by 
your  majesty,  yet  I  beg  you  to  permit  me  first  to 
build  a  palace  worthy  to  receive  the  princess  your 
daughter.  I  pray  you  to  grant  me  sufficient  ground 
near  your  palace,  and  I  will  have  it  completed  with 
the  utmost  expedition."  The  sultan  granted  Alad- 
din his  request,  and  again  embraced  him.  After 
which  he  took  his  leave  with  as  much  politeness  as  if 
he  had  been  bred  up  and  had  always  lived  at  court. 

Aladdin  returned  home  in  the  order  he  had  come, 
amidst  the  acclamations  of  the  people,  who  wished 
him  all  happiness  and  prosperity.  As  soon  as  he  dis- 
mounted, he  retired  to  his  own  chamber,  took  the 


$4       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

lamp,  and  summoned  the  genie  as  usual,  who  pro- 
fessed his  allegiance.  "  Genie,"  said  Aladdin,  "  build 
me  a  palace  fit  to  receive  the  Princess  Buddir  al 
Buddoor.  Let  its  materials  be  made  of  nothing  less 
than  porphyry,  jasper,  agate,  lapis  lazuli,  and  the  fin- 
est marble.  Let  its  walls  be  massive  gold  and  silver 
bricks  laid  alternately.  Let  each  front  contain  six 
windows,  and  let  the  lattices  of  these  (except  one, 
which  must  be  left  unfinished)  be  enriched  with 
diamonds,  rubies,  and  emeralds,  so  that  they  shall 
-exceed  everything  of  the  kind  ever  seen  in  the 
world.  Let  there  be  an  inner  and  outer  court  in 
front  of  the  palace,  and  a  spacious  garden ;  but  above 
all  things,  provide  a  safe  treasure-house,  and  fill  it 
with  gold  and  silver.  Let  there  be  also  kitchens  and 
storehouses,  stables  full  of  the  finest  horses,  with 
their  equerries  and  grooms,  and  hunting  equipage, 
officers,  attendants,  and  slaves,  both  men  and 
women,  to  form  a  retinue  for  the  princess  and  my- 
self.   Go  and  execute  my  wishes." 

When  Aladdin  gave  these  commands  to  the  genie, 
the  sun  was  set.  The  next  morning  at  daybreak  the 
genie  presented  himself,  and,  having  obtained  Alad- 
din's consent,  transported  him  in  a  moment  to  the 
palace  he  had  made.  The  genie  led  him  through  all 
the  apartments,  where  he  found  officers  and  slaves, 
habited  according  to  their  rank  and  the  services  to 
which  they  were  appointed.  The  genie  then  showed 
him  the  treasury,  which  was  opened  by  a  treasurer, 
where  Aladdin  saw  large  vases  of  different  sizes, 
piled  up  to  the  top  with  money,  ranged  all  round  the 
chamber.  The  genie  thence  led  him  to  the  stables, 
where  were  some  of  the  finest  horses  in  the  world, 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp     85 

and  the  grooms  busy  in  dressing  them ;  from  thence 
they  went  to  the  storehouses,  which  were  filled  with 
all  things  necessary,  both  for  food  and  ornament. 

When  Aladdin  had  examined  every  portion  of  the 
palace,  and  particularly  the  hall  with  the  four-and- 
twenty  windows,  and  found  it  far  to  exceed  his 
fondest  expectations,  he  said,  "  Genie,  there  is  one 
thing  wanting,  a  fine  carpet  for  the  princess  to  walk 
upon  from  the  sultan's  palace  to  mine.  Lay  one 
down  immediately."  The  genie  disappeared,  and 
Aladdin  saw  what  he  desired  executed  in  an  instant. 
The  genie  then  returned,  and  carried  him  to  his  own 
home. 

When  the  sultan's  porters  came  to  open  the  gates, 
they  were  amazed  to  find  what  had  been  an  un- 
occupied garden  filled  up  with  a  magnificent  palace, 
and  a  splendid  carpet  extending  to  it  all  the  way 
from  the  sultan's  palace.  They  told  the  strange  tid- 
ings to  the  grand  vizier,  who  informed  the  sultan, 
who  exclaimed,  "  It  must  be  Aladdin's  palace,  which 
I  gave  him  leave  to  build  for  my  daughter.  He  has 
wished  to  surprise  us,  and  let  us  see  what  wonders 
can  be  done  in  only  one  night." 

Aladdin,  on  his  being  conveyed  by  the  genie  to  his 
own  home,  requested  his  mother  to  go  to  the 
Princess  Buddir  al  Buddoor,  and  tell  her  that  the 
palace  would  be  ready  for  her  reception  in  the 
evening.  She  went,  attended  by  her  women  slaves, 
in  the  same  order  as  on  the  preceding  day.  Shortly 
after  her  arrival  at  the  princess's  apartment,  the 
sultan  himself  came  in,  and  was  surprised  to  find 
her,  whom  he  knew  as  his  suppliant  at  his  divan  in 
such    humble  guise,  to    be    now    more    richly  and 


86       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

sumptuously  attired  than  his  own  daughter.  This 
gave  him  a  higher  opinion  of  Aladdin,  who  took 
such  care  of  his  mother,  and  made  her  share  his 
wealth  and  honours.  Shortly  after  her  departure, 
Aladdin,  mounting  his  horse,  and  attended  by  his 
retinue  of  magnificent  attendants,  left  his  paternal 
home  forever,  and  went  to  the  palace  in  the  same 
pomp  as  on  the  day  before.  Nor  did  he  forget  to 
take  with  him  the  Wonderful  Lamp,  to  which  he 
owed  all  his  good  fortune,  nor  to  wear  the  Ring 
which  was  given  him  as  a  talisman.  The  sultan  en- 
tertained Aladdin  with  the  utmost  magnificence,  and 
at  night,  on  the  conclusion  of  the  marriage  cere- 
monies, the  princess  took  leave  of  the  sultan  her 
father.  Bands  of  music  led  the  procession,  followed 
by  a  hundred  state  ushers,  and  the  like  number  of 
black  mutes,  in  two  files,  with  their  officers  at  their 
head.  Four  hundred  of  the  sultan's  young  pages 
carried  flambeaux  on  each  side,  which,  together  with 
the  illuminations  of  the  sultan's  and  Aladdin's  pal- 
aces, made  it  as  light  as  day.  In  this  order  the 
princess,  conveyed  in  her  litter,  and  accompanied 
also  by  Aladdin's  mother,  carried  in  a  superb  litter 
and  attended  by  her  women  slaves,  proceeded  on  the 
carpet  which  was  spread  from  the  sultan's  palace  to 
that  of  Aladdin.  On  her  arrival  Aladdin  was  ready 
to  receive  her  at  the  entrance,  and  led  her  into  a 
large  hall,  illuminated  with  an  infinite  number  of 
wax  candles,  where  a  noble  feast  was  served  up. 
The  dishes  were  of  massy  gold,  and  contained  the 
most  delicate  viands.  The  vases,  basins,  and  gob- 
lets were  gold  also,  and  of  exquisite  workmanship, 
and  all  the  other  ornaments  and  embellishments  of 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp     87 

the  hall  were  answerable  to  this  display.  The 
princess,  dazzled  to  see  so  much  riches  collected  in 
one  place,  said  to  Aladdin,  "  I  thought,  prince,  that 
nothing-  in  the  world  was  so  beautiful  as  the  sultan 
my  father's  palace,  but  the  sight  of  this  hall  alone 
is  sufficient  to  show  I  was  deceived." 

When  the  supper  was  ended,  there  entered  a  com- 
pany of  female  dancers,  who  performed,  according 
to  the  custom  of  the  country,  singing  at  the  same 
time  verses  in  praise  of  the  bride  and  bridegroom. 
About  midnight  Aladdin's  mother  conducted  the 
bride  to  the  nuptial  apartment,  and  he  soon  after 
retired. 

The  next  morning  the  attendants  of  Aladdin  pre- 
sented themselves  to  dress  him,  and  brought  him 
another  habit,  as  rich  and  magnificent  as  that  worn 
the  day  before.  He  then  ordered  one  of  the  horses 
to  be  got  ready,  mounted  him,  and  went  in  the  midst 
of  a  large  troop  of  slaves  to  the  sultan's  palace  to 
entreat  him  to  take  a  repast  in  the  princess's  palace, 
attended  by  his  grand  vizier  and  all  the  lords  of  his 
court.  The  sultan  consented  with  pleasure,  rose  up 
immediately,  and,  preceded  by  the  principal  officers 
of  his  palace,  and  followed  by  all  the  great  lords  of 
his  court,  accompanied  Aladdin. 

The  nearer  the  sultan  approached  Aladdin's  pal- 
ace, the  more  he  was  struck  with  its  beauty ;  but 
when  he  entered  it,  came  into  the  hall,  and  saw  the 
windows,  enriched  with  diamonds,  rubies,  emeralds, 
all  large  perfect  stones,  he  was  completely  surprised, 
and  said  to  his  son-in-law,  "  This  palace  is  one  of 
the  wonders  of  the  world ;  for  where  in  all  the  world 
besides  shall  we  find  walls  built  of  massy  gold  and 


88       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

silver,  and  diamonds,  rubies,  and  emeralds  compos- 
ing the  windows?  But  what  most  surprises  me  is, 
that  a  hall  of  this  magnificence  should  be  left  with 
one  of  its  windows  incomplete  and  unfinished." 
"  Sire,"  answered  Aladdin,  "  the  omission  was  by 
design,  since  I  wished  that  you  should  have  the 
glory  of  finishing  this  hall."  "  I  take  your  intention 
kindly,"  said  the  sultan,  "  and  will  give  orders  about 
it  immediately." 

After  the  sultan  had  finished  this  magnificent  en- 
tertainment, provided  for  him  and  for  his  court  by 
Aladdin,  he  was  informed  that  the  jewellers  and 
goldsmiths  attended ;  upon  which  he  returned  to  the 
hall,  and  showed  them  the  window  which  was  un- 
finished. "  I  sent  for  you,"  said  he,  "  to  fit  up  this 
window  in  as  great  perfection  as  the  rest.  Examine 
them  well,  and  make  all  the  dispatch  you  can." 

The  jewellers  and  goldsmiths  examined  the  three- 
and-twenty  windows  with  great  attention,  and  after 
they  had  consulted  together,  to  know  what  each 
could  furnish,  they  returned,  and  presented  them- 
selves before  the  sultan,  whose  principal  jeweller, 
undertaking  to  speak  for  the  rest,  said,  "  Sire,  we 
are  all  willing  to  exert  our  utmost  care  and  industry 
to  obey  you;  but  among  us  all  we  cannot  furnish 
jewels  enough  for  so  great  a  work."  "  I  have  more 
than  are  necessary,"  said  the  sultan ;  "  come  to  my 
palace,  and  you  shall  choose  what  may  answer  your 
purpose." 

When  the  sultan  returned  to  his  palace,  he  ordered 
his  jewels  to  be  brought  out,  and  the  jewellers  took 
a  great  quantity,  particularly  those  Aladdin  had 
made  him  a  present  of,  which  they  soon  used,  with- 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp     89 

out  making  any  great  advance  in  their  work.  They 
came  again  several  times  for  more,  and  in  a  month's 
time  had  not  finished  half  their  work.  In  short, 
they  used  all  the  jewels  the  sultan  had,  and  bor- 
rowed of  the  vizier,  but  yet  the  work  was  not  half 
done. 

Aladdin,  who  knew  that  all  the  sultan's  endeav- 
ours to  make  this  window  like  the  rest  were  in  vain, 
sent  for  the  jewellers  and  goldsmiths,  and  not  only 
commanded  them  to  desist  from  their  work,  but 
ordered  them  to  undo  what  they  had  begun,  and  to 
carry  all  their  jewels  back  to  the  sultan  and  to  the 
vizier.  They  undid  in  a  few  hours  what  they  had 
been  six  weeks  about,  and  retired,  leaving  Aladdin 
alone  in  the  hall.  He  took  the  lamp,  which  he  car- 
ried about  him,  rubbed  it,  and  presently  the  genie 
appeared.  "  Genie,"  said  Aladdin,  "  I  ordered  thee 
to  leave  one  of  the  four-and-twenty  windows  of  this 
hall  imperfect,  and  thou  hast  executed  my  com- 
mands punctually ;  now  I  would  have  thee  make  it 
like  the  rest."  The  genie  immediately  disappeared. 
Aladdin  went  out  of  the  hall,  and  returning  soon 
after,  found  the  window,  as  he  wished  it  to  be,  like 
the  others. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  jewellers  and  goldsmiths 
repaired  to  the  palace,  and  were  introduced  into  the 
sultan's  presence;  where  the  chief  jeweller  presented 
the  precious  stones  which  he  had  brought  back.  The 
sultan  asked  them  if  Aladdin  had  given  them  any 
reason  for  so  doing,  and  they  answering  that  he  had 
given  them  none,  he  ordered  a  horse  to  be  brought, 
which  he  mounted,  and  rode  to  his  son-in-law's  pal- 
ace, with  some  few  attendants  on  foot,  to  inquire 


go       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

why  he  had  ordered  the  completion  of  the  window 
to  be  stopped.  Aladdin  met  him  at  the  gate,  and 
without  giving  any  reply  to  his  inquiries  conducted 
him  to  the  grand  saloon,  where  the  sultan,  to  his 
great  surprise,  found  the  window,  which  was  left 
imperfect,  to  correspond  exactly  with  the  others. 
He  fancied  at  first  that  he  was  mistaken,  and  ex- 
amined the  two  windows  on  each  side,  and  after- 
ward all  the  four-and-twenty ;  but  when  he  was  con- 
vinced that  the  window  which  several  workmen  had 
been  so  long  about  was  finished  in  so  short  a  time, 
he  embraced  Aladdin  and  kissed  him  between  his 
eyes.  "  My  son,"  said  he,  "  what  a  man  you  are  to 
do  such  surprising  things  always  in  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye !  there  is  not  your  fellow  in  the  world ;  the 
more  I  know,  the  more  I  admire  you." 

The  sultan  returned  to  the  palace,  and  after  this 
went  frequently  to  the  window  to  contemplate  and 
admire  the  wonderful  palace  of  his  son-in-law. 

Aladdin  did  not  confine  himself  in  his  palace,  but 
went  with  much  state,  sometimes  to  one  mosque, 
and  sometimes  to  another,  to  prayers,  or  to  visit  the 
grand  vizier  or  the  principal  lords  of  the  court. 
Every  time  he  went  out,  he  caused  two  slaves,  who 
walked  by  the  side  of  his  horse,  to  throw  handfuls 
of  money  among  the  people  as  he  passed  through 
the  streets  and  squares.  This  generosity  gained  him 
the  love  and  blessings  of  the  people,  and  it  was  com- 
mon for  them  to  swrear  by  his  head.  Thus  Aladdin, 
while  he  paid  all  respect  to  the  sultan,  won  by  his 
affable  behaviour  and  liberality  the  affections  of  the 
people. 

Aladdin  had  conducted  himself  in  this  manner 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp     91 

several  years,  when  the  African  magician,  who  had 
for  some  years  dismissed  him  from  his  recollection, 
determined  to  inform  himself  with  certainty  whether 
he  perished,  as  he  supposed,  in  the  subterranean 
cave  or  not.  After  he  had  resorted  to  a  long  course 
of  magic  ceremonies,  and  had  formed  a  horoscope 
by  which  to  ascertain  Aladdin's  fate,  what  was  his 
surprise  to  find  the  appearances  to  declare  that 
Aladdin,  instead  of  dying  in  the  cave,  had  made  his 
escape,  and  was  living  in  royal  splendour,  by  the  aid 
of  the  genie  of  the  wonderful  lamp ! 

On  the  very  next  day,  the  magician  set  out  and 
travelled  with  the  utmost  haste  to  the  capital  of 
China,  where,  on  his  arrival,  he  took  up  his  lodgings 
in  a  khan. 

He  then  quickly  learnt  about  the  wealth,  char- 
ities, happiness,  and  splendid  palace  of  Prince  Alad- 
din. Directly  he  saw  the  wonderful  fabric,  he  knew 
that  none  but  the  genies,  the  slaves  of  the  lamp, 
could  have  performed  such  wonders,  and,  piqued  to 
the  quick  at  Aladdin's  high  estate,  he  returned  to 
the  khan. 

On  his  return  he  had  recourse  to  an  operation  of 
geomancy  to  find  out  where  the  lamp  was — whether 
Aladdin  carried  it  about  with  him,  or  where  he  left 
it.  The  result  of  his  consultation  informed  him,  to 
his  great  joy,  that  the  lamp  was  in  the  palace. 
"  Well,"  said  he,  rubbing  his  hands  in  glee,  "  I  shall 
have  the  lamp,  and  I  shall  make  Aladdin  return  to 
his  original  mean  condition." 

The  next  day  the  magician  learnt,  from  the  chief 
superintendent  of  the  khan  where  he  lodged,  that 
Aladdin  had  gone  on  a  hunting  expedition,  which 


92       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

was  to  last  for  eight  days,  of  which  only  three  had 
expired.  The  magician  wanted  to  know  no  more. 
He  resolved  at  once  on  his  plans.  He  went  to  a 
coppersmith,  and  asked  for  a  dozen  copper  lamps: 
the  master  of  the  shop  told  him  he  had  not  so  many 
by  him,  but  if  he  would  have  patience  till  the  next 
day,  he  would  have  them  ready.  The  magician  ap- 
pointed his  time,  and  desired  him  to  take  care  that 
they  should  be  handsome  and  well  polished. 

The  next  day  the  magician  called  for  the  twelve 
lamps,  paid  the  man  his  full  price,  put  them  into  a 
basket  hanging  on  his  arm,  and  went  directly  to 
Aladdin's  palace.  As  he  approached,  he  began  cry- 
ing, "  Who  will  exchange  old  lamps  for  new  ones  ?  ** 
As  he  went  along,  a  crowd  of  children  collected, 
who  hooted,  and  thought  him,  as  did  all  who 
chanced  to  be  passing  by,  a  madman  or  a  fool,  to 
offer  to  change  new  lamps  for  old  ones. 

The  African  magician  regarded  not  their  scoffs, 
hootings,  or  all  they  could  say  to  him,  but  still  con- 
tinued crying,  "  Who  will  change  old  lamps  for  new 
ones  ?  "  He  repeated  this  so  often,  walking  back- 
ward and  forward  in  front  of  the  palace,  that  the 
princess,  who  was  then  in  the  hall  with  the  four- 
and-twenty  windows,  hearing  a  man  cry  something, 
and  seeing  a  great  mob  crowding  about  him,  sent 
one  of  her  women  slaves  to  know  what  he  cried 

The  slave  returned,  laughing  so  heartily  that  the 
princess  rebuked  her.  "  Madam,"'  answered  the 
slave,  laughing  still,  "  who  can  forbear  laughing,  to 
see  an  old  man  with  a  basket  on  his  arm,  full  of  fine 
new  lamps,  asking  to  change  them  for  old  ones  ?  the 
children  and  mob  crowding  about  him,  so  that  he 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp     93 

can  hardly  stir,  make  all  the  noise  they  can  in  deri- 
sion of  him." 

Another  female  slave  hearing  this,  said,  "  Now 
you  speak  of  lamps,  I  know  not  whether  the  princess 
may  have  observed  it,  but  there  is  an  old  one  upon 
a  shelf  of  the  Prince  Aladdin's  robing  room,  and 
whoever  owns  it  will  not  be  sorry  to  find  a  new 
one  in  its  stead.  If  the  princess  chooses,  she  may 
have  the  pleasure  of  trying  if  this  old  man  is  so 
silly  as  to  give  a  new  lamp  for  an  old  one,  without 
taking  anything  for  the  exchange." 

The  princess,  who  knew  not  the  value  of  this 
lamp,  and  the  interest  that  Aladdin  had  to  keep  it 
safe,  entered  into  the  pleasantry,  and  commanded  a 
slave  to  take  it  and  make  the  exchange.  The  slave 
obeyed,  went  out  of  the  hall,  and  no  sooner  got  to 
the  palace  gates  than  he  saw  the  African  magician, 
called  to  him,  and  showing  him  the  old  lamp,  said, 
"  Give  me  a  new  lamp  for  this." 

The  magician  never  doubted  but  this  was  the 
lamp  he  wanted.  There  could  be  no  other  such  in 
this  palace,  where  every  utensil  was  gold  or  silver. 
He  snatched  it  eagerly  out  of  the  slave's  hand,  and 
thrusting  it  as  far  as  he  could  into  his  breast,  offered 
him  his  basket,  and  bade  him  choose  which  he  liked 
best.  The  slave  picked  out  one  and  carried  it  to  the 
princess ;  but  the  change  was  no  sooner  made  than 
the  place  rung  with  the  shouts  of  the  children,  de- 
riding the  magician's  folly. 

The  African  magician  stayed  no  longer  near  the 
palace,  nor  cried  any  more,  "  New  lamps  for  old 
ones,"  but  made  the  best  of  his  way  to  his  khan. 


94       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

His  end  was  answered,  and  by  his  silence  he  got  rid 
of  the  children  and  the  mob. 

As  soon  as  he  was  out  of  sight  of  the  two  palaces, 
he  hastened  down  the  least-frequented  streets ;  and 
having  no  more  occasion  for  his  lamps  or  basket, 
set  all  down  in  a  spot  where  nobody  saw  him ;  then 
going  down  another  street  or  two,  he  walked  till 
he  came  to  one  of  the  city  gates,  and  pursuing  his 
way  through  the  suburbs,  which  were  very  exten- 
sive, at  length  reached  a  lonely  spot,  where  he 
stopped  till  the  darkness  of  the  night,  as  the  most 
suitable  time  for  the  design  he  had  in  contemplation. 
When  it  became  quite  dark,  he  pulled  the  lamp  out 
of  his  breast  and  rubbed  it.  At  that  summons  the 
genie  appeared,,  and  said,  "  What  wouldst  thou 
have  ?  I  am  ready  to  obey  thee  as  thy  slave,  and  the 
slave  of  all  those  who  have  that  lamp  in  their  hands ; 
both  I  and  the  other  slaves  of  the  lamp."  "  I  com- 
mand thee,"  replied  the  magician,  "  to  transport  me 
immediately,  and  the  palace  which  thou  and  the 
other  slaves  of  the  lamp  have  built  in  this  city,  with 
all  the  people  in  it,  to  Africa."  The  genie  made  no 
reply,  but  with  the  assistance  of  the  other  genies, 
the  slaves  of  the  lamp,  immediately  transported  him 
and  the  palace,  entire,  to  the  spot  whither  he  had 
been  desired  to  convey  it. 

Early  the  next  morning,  when  the  sultan,  accord- 
ing to  custom,  went  to  contemplate  and  admire  Alad- 
din's place,  his  amazement  was  unbounded  to  find 
that  it  could  nowhere  be  seen.  He  could  not  com- 
prehend how  so  large  a  palace  which  he  had  seen 
plainly  every  day  for  some  years,  should  vanish  so 
soon,  and  not  leave  the  least  remains  behind.     In 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp     95 

his  perplexity  he  ordered  the  grand  vizier  to  be  sent 
for  with  expedition. 

The  grand  vizier,  who,  in  secret,  bore  no  good 
will  to  Aladdin,  intimated  his  suspicion  that  the  pal- 
ace was  built  by  magic,  and  that  Aladdin  had  made 
his  hunting  excursion  an  excuse  for  the  removal  of 
his  palace  with  the  same  suddenness  with  which  it 
had  been  erected.  He  induced  the  sultan  to  send 
a  detachment  of  his  guard,  and  to  have  Aladdin 
seized  as  a  prisoner  of  state.  On  his  son-in-law  be- 
ing brought  before  him,  he  would  not  hear  a  word 
from  him,  but  ordered  him  to  be  put  to  death.  The 
decree  caused  so  much  discontent  among  the  people, 
Avhose  affection  Aladdin  had  secured  by  his  largesses 
and  charities,  that  the  sultan,  fearful  of  an  insur- 
rection, was  obliged  to  grant  him  his  life.  When 
Aladdin  found  himself  at  liberty,  he  again  addressed 
the  sultan :  "  Sire,  I  pray  you  to  let  me  know  the 
crime  by  which  I  have  thus  lost  the  favour  of  thy 
countenance."  "  Your  crime  1  "  answered  the  sultan, 
"  wretched  man !  do  you  not  know  it  ?  Follow  me, 
and  I  will  show  you."  The  sultan  then  took  Aladdin 
into  the  apartment  from  whence  he  was  wont  to  look 
at  and  admire  his  palace,  and  said,  "  You  ought  to 
know  where  your  palace  stood ;  look,  mind,  and  tell 
me  what  has  become  of  it."  Aladdin  did  so,  and  be- 
ing utterly  amazed  at  the  loss  of  his  palace,  was 
speechless.  At  last  recovering  himself,  he  said,  "  It 
is  true,  I  do  not  see  the  palace.  It  is  vanished ;  but 
I  had  no  concern  in  its  removal.  I  beg  you  to  give 
me  forty  days,  and  if  in  that  time  I  cannot  restore  it, 
I  will  offer  my  bead  to  be  disposed  of  at  your  pleas- 
ure."   "  I  give  you  the  time  you  ask,  but  at  the  end 


.96       Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

of  the  forty  days,  forget  not  to  present  yourself  be- 
fore me." 

Aladdin  went  out  of  the  sultan's  palace  in  a  condi- 
tion of  exceeding  humiliation.  The  lords  who  had 
courted  him  in  the  days  of  his  splendour,  now  de- 
clined to  have  any  communication  with  him.  For 
three  days  he  wandered  about  the  city,  exciting  the 
wonder  and  compassion  of  the  multitude  by  asking 
everybody  he  met  if  they  had  seen  his  palace,  or 
-could  tell  him  anything  of  it.  On  the  third  day  he 
wandered  into  the  country,  and  as  he  was  approach- 
ing a  river,  he  fell  down  the  bank  with  so  much  vio- 
lence that  he  rubbed  the  ring  which  the  magician 
had  given  him  so  hard  by  holding  on  the  rock  to 
save  himself,  that  immediately  the  same  genie  ap- 
peared whom  he  had  seen  in  the  cave  where  the  ma- 
gician had  left  him.  "  What  wouldst  thou  have  ?  " 
said  the  genie,  "  I  am  ready  to  obey  thee  as  thy 
slave,  and  the  slave  of  all  those  that  have  that  ring 
•on  their  finger;  both  I  and  the  other  slaves  of  the 
ring." 

Aladdin,  agreeably  surprised  at  an  offer  of  help 
so  little  expected,  replied,  "  Genie,  show  me  where 
the  palace  I  caused  to  be  built  now  stands,  or  trans- 
port it  back  where  it  first  stood."  "  Your  com- 
mand," answered  the  genie,  "  is  not  wholly  in  my 
power;  I  am  only  the  slave  of  the  ring,  and  not  of 
the  lamp."  "  I  command  thee,  then,"  replied  Alad- 
din, "  by  the  power  of  the  ring,  to  transport  me  to 
the  spot  where  my  palace  stands,  in  what  part  of  the 
world  soever  it  may  be."  These  words  were  no 
sooner  out  of  his  mouth,  than  the  genie  transported 
(him  into  Africa,  to  the  midst  of  a  large  plain,  where 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp    97 

his  palace  stood,  at  no  great  distance  from  a  city, 
and  placing  him  exactly  under  the  window  of  the 
princess's  apartment,  left  him. 

Now  it  so  happened  that  shortly  after  Aladdin  had 
been  transported  by  the  slave  of  the  ring  to  the 
neighbourhood  of  his  palace,  that  one  of  the  attend- 
ants of  the  Princess  Buddir  al  Buddoor,  looking 
through  the  window,  perceived  him  and  instantly 
told  her  mistress.  The  princess,  who  could  not  be- 
lieve the  joyful  tidings,  hastened  herself  to  the  win- 
dow, and  seeing  Aladdin,  immediately  opened  it. 
The  noise  of  opening  the  window  made  Aladdin  turn 
his  head  that  way,  and  perceiving  the  princess,  he 
saluted  her  with  an  air  that  expressed  his  joy.  "  To 
lose  no  time,"  said  she  to  him,  "  I  have  sent  to  have 
the  private  door  opened  for  you ;  enter  and  come 
up." 

The  private  door,  which  was  just  under  the  prin- 
cess's apartment,  was  soon  opened,  and  Aladdin  con- 
ducted up  into  the  chamber.  It  is  impossible  to  ex- 
press the  joy  of  both  at  seeing  each  other,  after  so 
cruel  a  separation.  After  embracing  and  shedding 
tears  of  joy,  they  sat  down,  and  Aladdin  said,  "  I 
beg  of  you,  princess,  to  tell  me  what  is  become  of  an 
old  lamp  which  stood  upon  a  shelf  in  my  robing- 
chamber." 

"  Alas !  "  answered  the  princess,  "  I  was  afraid  our 
misfortune  might  be  owing  to  that  lamp ;  and  what 
grieves  me  most  is,  that  I  have  been  the  cause  of  it. 
I  was  foolish  enough  to  change  the  old  lamp  for  a 
new  one,  and  the  next  morning  I  found  myself  in 
this  unknown  country,  which  I  am  told  is  Africa." 

"  Princess,"  said  Aladdin,  interrupting  her,  "  you 


98       Fairy  Talcs  Every  Child  Should  Know 

have  explained  all  by  telling  me  we  are  in  Africa. 
I  desire  you  only  to  tell  me  if  you  know  where  the 
old  lamp  now  is."  "  The  African  magician  carries  it 
carefully  wrapt  up  in  his  bosom,"  said  the  princess ; 
"  and  this  I  can  assure  you,  because  he  pulled  it  out 
before  me,  and  showed  it  to  me  in  triumph." 

"  Princess,"  said  Aladdin,  "  I  think  I  have  found 
the  means  to  deliver  you  and  to  regain  possession  of 
the  lamp,  on  which  all  my  prosperity  depends;  to 
execute  this  design  it  is  necessary  for  me  to  go  to 
the  town.  I  shall  return  by  noon,  and  will  then  tell 
you  what  must  be  done  by  you  to  insure  success.  In 
the  mean  time,  I  shall  disguise  myself,  and  beg  that 
the  private  door  may  be  opened  at  the  first  knock." 

When  Aladdin  was  out  of  the  palace,  he  looked 
round  him  on  all  sides,  and  perceiving  a  peasant 
going  into  the  country,  hastened  after  him ;  and 
when  he  had  overtaken  him,  made  a  proposal  to  him 
to  change  clothes,  which  the  man  agreed  to.  When 
they  had  made  the  exchange,  the  countryman  went 
about  his  business,  and  Aladdin  entered  the  neigh- 
bouring city.  After  traversing  several  streets,  he 
came  to  that  part  of  the  town  where  the  merchants 
and  artisans  had  their  particular  streets  according 
to  their  trades.  He  went  into  that  of  the  druggists ; 
and  entering  one  of  the  largest  and  best  furnished 
shops,  asked  the  druggist  if  he  had  a  certain  powder, 
which  he  named. 

The  druggist,  judging  Aladdin  by  his  habit  to  be 
very  poor,  told  him  he  had  it,  but  that  it  was  very 
dear ;  upon  which  Aladdin,  penetrating  his  thoughts, 
pulled  out  his  purse,  and  showing  him  some  gold, 
asked  for  half  a  dram  of  the  powder;  which  the 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  Th-c  Wonderful  Lamp     99 

druggist  weighed  and  gave  him,  telling  him  the 
price  was  a  piece  of  gold.  Aladdin  put  the  money 
into  his  hand,  and  hastened  to  the  palace,  which  he 
entered  at  once  by  the  private  door.  When  he  came 
into  the  princess's  apartments,  he  said  to  her,  "  Prin- 
cess, you  must  take  your  part  in  the  scheme  which 
I  propose  for  our  deliverance.  You  must  overcome 
your  aversion  to  the  magician,  and  assume  a  most 
friendly  manner  toward  him,  and  ask  him  to  oblige 
you  by  partaking  of  an  entertainment  in  your  apart- 
ments. Before  he  leaves,  ask  him  to  exchange  cups 
with  you,  which  he,  gratified  at  the  honour  you  do 
him,  will  gladly  do,  when  you  must  give  him  the  cup 
containing  this  powder.  On  drinking  it  he  will  in- 
stantly fall  asleep,  and  we  will  obtain  the  lamp, 
whose  slaves  will  do  all  our  bidding,  and  restore  us 
and  the  palace  to  the  capital  of  China." 

The  princess  obeyed  to  the  utmost  her  husband's 
instructions.  She  assumed  a  look  of  pleasure  on 
the  next  visit  of  the  magician,  and  asked  him  to  an 
entertainment,  which  he  most  willingly  accepted.  At 
the  close  of  the  evening,  during  which  the  princess 
had  tried  all  she  could  to  please  him,  she  asked  him 
to  exchange  cups  with  her,  and  giving  the  signal, 
had  the  drugged  cup  brought  to  her,  which  she  gave 
to  the  magician.  He  drank  it  out  of  compliment  to 
the  princess  to  the  very  last  drop,  when  he  fell  back- 
ward lifeless  on  the  sofa. 

The  princess,  in  anticipation  of  the  success  of  her 
scheme,  had  so  placed  her  women  from  the  great 
hall  to  the  foot  of  the  staircase,  that  the  word  was  no 
sooner  given  that  the  African  magician  was  fallen 
backward,  than  the  door  was  opened,  and  Aladdin 


too    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

admitted  to  the  hall.  The  princess  rose  from  her 
seat,  and  ran,  overjoyed,  to  embrace  him;  but  he 
stopped  her,  and  said,  "  Princess,  retire  to  your 
apartment;  and  let  me  be  left  alone,  while  I  en- 
deavour to  transport  you  back  to  China  as  speedily 
as  you  were  brought  from  thence." 

When  the  princess,  her  women,  and  slaves  were 
gone  out  of  the  hall,  Aladdin  shut  the  door,  and  go- 
ing directly  to  the  dead  body  of  the  magician,  opened 
his  vest,  took  out  the  lamp  which  was  carefully 
wrapped  up,  and  rubbing  it,  the  genie  immediately 
appeared.  "  Genie,"  said  Aladdin,  "  I  command  thee 
to  transport  this  palace  instantly  to  the  place  from 
whence  it  was  brought  hither."  The  genie  bowed 
his  head  in  token  of  obedience,  and  disappeared.  Im- 
mediately the  palace  was  transported  into  China,  and 
its  removal  was  only  felt  by  two  little  shocks,  the  one 
when  it  was  lifted  up,  the  other  when  it  was  set 
down,  and  both  in  a  very  short  interval  of  time. 

On  the  morning  after  the  restoration  of  Aladdin's 
palace,  the  sultan  was  looking  out  of  his  window, 
and  mourning  over  the  fate  of  his  daughter,  when 
he  thought  that  he  saw  the  vacancy  created  by  the 
disappearance  of  the  palace  to  be  again  filled  up. 

On  looking  more  attentively,  he  was  convinced 
beyond  the  power  of  doubt  that  it  was  his  son-in- 
law's  palace.  Joy  and  gladness  succeeded  to  sorrow 
and  grief.  He  at  once  ordered  a  horse  to  be  saddled, 
which  he  mounted  that  instant,  thinking  he  could 
not  make  haste  enough  to  the  place. 

Aladdin  rose  that  morning  by  daybreak,  put  on 
one  of  the  most  magnificent  habits  his  wardrobe  af- 
forded, and  went  up  into  the  hall  of  twenty- four 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp  iot 

windows,  from  whence  he  perceived  the  sultan  ap- 
proaching, and  received  him  at  the  foot  of  the  great 
staircase,  helping  him  to  dismount. 

He  led  the  sultan  into  the  princess's  apartment. 
The  happy  father  embraced  her  with  tears  of  joy; 
and  the  princess,  on  her  side,  afforded  similar  testi- 
monies of  her  extreme  pleasure.  After  a  short  in- 
terval, devoted  to  mutual  explanations  of  all  that 
had  happened,  the  sultan  restored  Aladdin  to  his 
favour,  and  expressed  his  regret  for  the  apparent 
harshness  with  which  he  had  treated  him.  "  My 
son,"  said  he,  "  be  not  displeased  at  my  proceedings 
against  you ;  they  arose  from  my  paternal  love,  and 
therefore  you  ought  to  forgive  the  excesses  to  which 
it  hurried  me."  "  Sire,"  replied  Aladdin,  "  I  have 
not  the  least  reason  to  complain  of  your  conduct, 
since  you  did  nothing  but  what  your  duty  required. 
This  infamous  magician,  the  basest  of  men,  was  the 
sole  cause  of  my  misfortune." 

The  African  magician,  who  was  thus  twice  foiled 
in  his  endeavour  to  ruin  Aladdin,  had  a  younger 
brother,  who  was  as  skilful  a  magician  as  himself,, 
and  exceeded  him  in  wickedness  and  hatred  of  man- 
kind. By  mutual  agreement  they  communicated 
with  each  other  once  a  year,  however  widely  sepa- 
rate might  be  their  place  of  residence  from  each 
other.  The  younger  brother  not  having  received  as 
(usual  his  annual  communication,  prepared  to  take  a 
horoscope  and  ascertain  his  brother's  proceedings. 
He,  as  well  as  his  brother,  always  carried  a  geoman- 
tic  square  instrument  about  him ;  he  prepared  the 
sand,  cast  the  points,  and  drew  the  figures.  On  ex- 
amining the  planetary  crystal,  he  found  that  his 


to2     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

brother  was  no  longer  living,  but  had  been  poisoned ; 
and  by  another  observation,  that  he  was  in  the  capi- 
tal of  the  kingdom  of  China;  also,  that  the  person 
who  had  poisoned  him  was  of  mean  birth,  though 
married  to  a  princess,  a  sultan's  daughter. 

When  the  magician  had  informed  himself  of  his 
brother's  fate,  he  resolved  immediately  to  revenge 
his  death,  and  at  once  departed  for  China;  where, 
after  crossing  plains,  rivers,  mountains,  deserts,  and 
a  long  tract  of  country  without  delay,  he  arrived 
after  incredible  fatigues.  When  he  came  to  the  capi- 
tal of  China,  he  took  a  lodging  at  a  khan.  His  magic 
art  soon  revealed  to  him  that  Aladdin  was  the  person 
who  had  been  the  cause  of  the  death  of  his  brother. 
He  had  heard,  too,  all  the  persons  of  repute  in  the 
city  talking  of  a  woman  called  Fatima,  who  was  re- 
tired from  the  world,  and  of  the  miracles  she 
wrought.  As  he  fancied  that  this  woman  might  be 
serviceable  to  him  in  the  project  he  had  conceived, 
he  made  more  minute  inquiries,  and  requested  to  be 
informed  more  particularly  who  that  holy  woman 
was,  and  what  sort  of  miracles  she  performed. 

"  What !  "  said  the  person  whom  he  addressed, 
"  have  you  never  seen  or  heard  of  her  ?  She  is  the 
admiration  of  the  whole  town,  for  her  fasting,  her 
austerities,  and  her  exemplary  life.  Except  Mon- 
days and  Fridays,  she  never  stirs  out  of  her  little 
cell ;  and  on  those  days  on  which  she  comes  into  the 
town  she  does  an  infinite  deal  of  good ;  for  there  is 
not  a  person  who  is  diseased  but  she  puts  her  hand 
on  them  and  cures  them." 

Having  ascertained  the  place  where  the  hermitage 
of  this  holy  woman  was,  the  magician  went  at  night, 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp  103 

and,  plunging  a  poniard  into  her  heart,  killed  this 
good  woman.  In  the  morning  he  dyed  his  face  of 
the  same  hue  as  hers,  and  arraying  himself  in  her 
garb,  taking  her  veil,  the  large  necklace  she  wore 
round  her  waist,  and  her  stick,  went  straight  to  the 
palace  of  Aladdin. 

As  soon  as  the  people  saw  the  holy  woman,  as 
they  imagined  him  to  be,  they  presently  gathered 
about  him  in  a  great  crowd.  Some  begged  his  bless- 
ing, others  kissed  his  hand,  and  others,  more  re- 
served, only  the  hem  of  his  garment ;  while  others, 
suffering  from  disease,  stooped  for  him  to  lay  his 
hands  upon  them;  which  he  did,  muttering  some 
words  in  form  of  prayer,  and,  in  short,  counterfeiting 
so  well,  that  everybody  took  him  for  the  holy  woman. 
He  came  at  last  to  the  square  before  Aladdin's  pal- 
ace. The  crowd  and  the  noise  were  so  great  that 
the  princess,  who  was  in  the  hall  of  four-and-twenty 
windows,  heard  it,  and  asked  what  was  the  matter. 
One  of  her  women  told  her  it  was  a  great  crowd  of 
people  collected  about  the  holy  woman  to  be  cured 
of  diseases  by  the  imposition  of  her  hands. 

The  princess,  who  had  long  heard  of  this  holy 
woman,  but  had  never  seen  her,  was  very  desirous  to 
have  some  conversation  with  her ;  which  the  chief 
officer  perceiving,  told  her  it  was  an  easy  matter  to 
bring  her  to  her,  if  she  desired  and  commanded  it; 
and  the  princess  expressing  her  wishes,  he  immedi- 
ately sent  four  slaves  for  the  pretended  holy  woman. 

As  soon  as  the  crowd  saw  the  attendants  from  the 
palace,  they  made  way ;  and  the  magician,  perceiving 
also  that  they  were  coming  for  him,  advanced  to 
meet  them,  overjoyed  to  find  his  plot  succeed  so 


104     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

well.  "  Holy  woman,"  said  one  of  the  slaves,  "  the 
princess  wants  to  see  you,  and  has  sent  us  for 
you."  "  The  princess  does  me  too  great  an  honour." 
replied  the  false  Fatima ;  "  I  am  ready  to  obey  her 
command,"  and  at  the  same  time  followed  the  slaves 
to  the  palace. 

When  the  pretended  Fatima  had  made  her  obei- 
sance, the  princess  said,  "  My  good  mother,  I  have 
one  thing  to  request,  which  you  must  not  refuse  me ; 
it  is,  to  stay  with  me,  that  you  may  edify  me  with 
your  way  of  living,  and  that  I  may  learn  from  your 
good  example."  "  Princess,"  said  the  counterfeit 
Fatima,  "  I  beg  of  you  not  to  ask  what  I  cannot  con- 
sent to  without  neglecting  my  prayers  and  devotion." 
"  That  shall  be  no  hindrance  to  you,"  answered  the 
princess ;  "  1  have  a  great  many  apartments  unoccu- 
pied ;  you  shall  choose  which  you  like  best,  and  have 
as  much  liberty  to  perform  your  devotions  as  if  you 
were  in  your  own  cell." 

The  magician,  who  really  desired  nothing  more 
than  to  introduce  himself  into  the  palace,  where  it 
would  be  a  much  easier  matter  for  him  to  execute 
his  designs,  did  not  long  excuse  himself  from  ac- 
cepting the  obliging  offer  which  the  princess  made 
him.  "  Princess,"  said  he,  "  whatever  resolution  a 
poor  wretched  woman  as  I  am  may  have  made  to  re- 
nounce the  pomp  and  grandeur  of  this  world,  I  dare 
not  presume  to  oppose  the  will  and  commands  of  so 
pious  and  charitable  a  princess." 

Upon  this  the  princess,  rising  up,  said,  "  Come 
with  me,  I  will  show  you  what  vacant  apartments  I 
have,  that  you  may  make  choice  of  that  you  like 
best."    The  magician  followed  the  princess,  and  of 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp  105 

all  the  apartments  she  showed  him,  made  choice  of 
that  which  was  the  worst,  saying  that  it  was  too 
good  for  him,  and  that  he  only  accepted  it  to  please 
her. 

Afterward  the  princess  would  have  brought  him 
back  into  the  great  hall  to  make  him  dine  with  her ; 
but  he,  considering  that  he  should  then  be  obliged  to 
show  his  face,  which  he  had  always  taken  care  to  con- 
ceal with  Fatima's  veil,  and  fearing  that  the  princess 
should  find  out  that  he  was  not  Fatima,  begged  of 
her  earnestly  to  excuse  him,  telling  her  that  he  never 
ate  anything  but  bread  and  dried  fruits,  and  desir- 
ing to  eat  that  slight  repast  in  his  own  apartment. 
The  princess  granted  his  request,  saying,  "  You  may 
be  as  free  here,  good  mother,  as  if  you  were  in  your 
own  cell :  I  will  order  you  a  dinner,  but  remember  I 
expect  you  as  soon  as  you  have  finished  your  repast." 

After  the  princess  had  dined,  and  the  false  Fa- 
tima had  been  sent  for  by  one  of  the  attendants,  he 
again  waited  upon  her.  "  My  good  mother,"  said 
the  princess,  "  I  am  overjoyed  to  see  so  holy  a 
woman  as  yourself,  who  will  confer  a  blessing  upon 
this  palace.  But  now  I  am  speaking  of  the  palace, 
pray  how  do  you  like  it  ?  And  before  I  show  it  all 
to  you,  tell  me  first  what  you  think  of  this  hall." 

Upon  this  question,  the  counterfeit  Fatima  sur- 
veyed the  hall  from  one  end  to  the  other.  When  he 
had  examined  it  well,  he  said  to  the  princess,  "  As  far 
as  such  a  solitary  being  as  I  am,  who  am  un- 
acquainted with  what  the  world  calls  beautiful,  can 
judge,  this  hall  is  truly  admirable;  there  wants  but 
one  thing."  "  What  is  that,  good  mother  ? "  de- 
manded the  princess ;  "  tell  me,  I  conjure  you.    For 


106     Fairy  Talcs  Every  CJuld  Should  Kruyw 

my  part,  I  always  believed,  and  have  heard  say,  it 
wanted  nothing;  but  if  it  does,  it  shall  be  supplied." 

"  Princess,"  said  the  false  Fatima,  with  great  dis- 
simulation, "  forgive  me  the  liberty  I  have  taken ; 
but  my  opinion  is,  if  it  can  be  of  any  importance, 
that  if  a  roc's  egg  were  hung  up  in  the  middle  of  the 
dome,  this  hall  would  have  no  parallel  in  the  four 
quarters  of  the  world,  and  your  palace  would  be  the 
wonder  of  the  universe." 

"  My  good  mother,"  said  the  princess,  "  what  is  a 
roc,  and  where  may  one  get  an  egg?  "  "  Princess," 
replied  the  pretended  Fatima,  "it  is  a  bird  of  pro- 
digious size,  which  inhabits  the  summit  of  Mount 
Caucasus;  the  architect  who  built  your  palace  can 
get  you  one." 

After  the  princess  had  thanked  the  false  Fatima 
for  what  she  believed  her  good  advice,  she  con- 
versed with  her  upon  other  matters ;  but  could  not 
forget  the  roc's  egg,  which  she  resolved  to  request 
of  Aladdin  when  next  he  should  visit  his  apartments. 
He  did  so  in  the  course  of  that  evening,  and  shortly 
after  he  entered,  the  princess  thus  addressed  him : 
"  I  always  believed  that  our  palace  was  the  most 
superb,  magnificent,  and  complete  in  the  world:  but 
I  will  tell  you  now  what  it  wants,  and  that  is  a  roc's 
egg  hung  up  in  the  midst  of  the  dome."  "  Princess," 
replied  Aladdin,  "  it  is  enough  that  you  think  it 
wants  such  an  ornament;  you  shall  see  by  the  dili- 
gence which  I  use  in  obtaining  it,  that  there  is  noth- 
ing which  I  would  not  do  for  your  sake." 

Aladdin  left  the  Princess  Buddir  al  Buddoor  that 
moment,  and  went  up  into  the  hall  of  four-and- 
twenty  windows,  where,  pulling  out  of  his  bosom  the 


Story  of  Aladdin;  or,  The  Wonderful  Lamp  107 

lamp,  which  after  the  danger  he  had  been  exposed 
to  he  always  carried  about  him,  he  rubbed  it;  upon 
which  the  genie  immediately  appeared.  "  Genie," 
said  Aladdin,  "  I  command  thee,  in  the  name  of  this 
lamp,  bring  a  roc's  egg  to  be  hung  up  in  the  middle 
of  the  dome  of  the  hall  of  the  palace."  Aladdin  had 
no  sooner  pronounced  these  words,  than  the  hall 
shook  as  if  ready  to  fall ;  and  the  genie  said  in  a 
loud  and  terrible  voice,  "  Is  it  not  enough  that  I 
and  the  other  slaves  of  the  lamp  have  done  every- 
thing for  you,  but  you,  by  an  unheard-of  ingratitude, 
must  command  me  to  bring  my  master,  and  hang 
him  up  in  the  midst  of  this  dome  ?  This  attempt  de- 
serves that  you,  the  princess,  and  the  palace,  should 
be  immediately  reduced  to  ashes ;  but  you  are  spared 
because  this  request  does  not  come  from  yourself. 
Its  true  author  is  the  brother  of  the  African  magi- 
cian, your  enemy  whom  you  have  destroyed.  He 
is  now  in  your  palace,  disguised  in  the  habit  of  the 
holy  woman  Fatima,  whom  he  has  murdered ;  at  his 
suggestion  your  wife  makes  this  pernicious  demand. 
His  design  is  to  kill  you,  therefore  take  care  of  your- 
self."   After  these  words  the  genie  disappeared. 

Aladdin  resolved  at  once  what  to  do.  He  re- 
turned to  the  princess's  apartment,  and  without  men- 
tioning a  word  of  what  had  happened,  sat  down,  and 
complained  of  a  great  pain  which  had  suddenly 
seized  his  head.  On  hearing  this,  the  princess  told 
him  how  she  had  invited  the  holy  Fatima  to  stay 
with  her,  and  that  she  was  now  in  the  palace ;  and 
at  the  request  of  the  prince,  ordered  her  to  be  sum- 
moned to  her  at  once. 

When  the  pretended  Fatima  came,  Aladdin  said, 


108    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"  Come  hither,  good  mother ;  I  am  glad  to  see  yoa 
here  at  so  fortunate  a  time.  I  am  tormented  with 
a  violent  pain  in  my  head,  and  request  your  assist- 
ance, and  hope  3'ou  will  not  refuse  me  that  cure 
which  you  impart  to  afflicted  persons."  So  saying; 
he  arose,  but  held  down  his  head.  The  counterfeit 
Fatima  advanced  toward  him,  with  his  hand  all  the 
time  on  a  dagger  concealed  in  his  girdle  under  his 
gown;  which  Aladdin,  observing,  he  snatched  the 
weapon  from  his  hand,  pierced  him  to  the  heart  with 
his  own  dagger,  and  then  pushed  him  down  on  the 
floor. 

"  My  dear  prince,  what  have  you  done  ?  "  cried 
the  princess,  in  surprise.  "  You  have  killed  the  holy 
woman !  "  "  No,  my  princess,"  answered  Aladdin 
with  emotion,  "  I  have  not  killed  Fatima,  but  a  vil- 
lain, who  would  have  assassinated  me,  if  I  had  not 
prevented  him.  "  This  wicked  man,"  added  he,  un- 
covering his  face,  "  is  the  brother  of  the  magician 
who  attempted  our  ruin.  He  has  strangled  the  true 
Fatima,  and  disguised  himself  in  her  clothes  with  in- 
tent to  murder  me."  Aladdin  then  informed  her  how 
the  genie  had  told  him  these  facts,  and  how  narrowly 
she  and  the  palace  had  escaped  destruction  through 
his  treacherous  suggestion  which  had  led  to  her  re- 
quest. 

Thus  was  Aladdin  delivered  from  the  persecution 
of  the  two  brothers,  who  were  magicians.  Within  a 
few  years  afterward,  the  sultan  died  in  a  good  old 
age,  and  as  he  left  no  male  children,  the  Princess 
Buddir  al  Buddoor  succeeded  him,  and  she  and 
Aladdin  reigned  together  many  years,  and  left  a 
numerous  and  illustrious  posterity. 


CHAPTER   VI 

THE    HISTORY    OF    ALI    BABA,    AND    OF    THE    FORTY 
ROBBERS  KILLED  BY  ONE  SLAVE 

There  once  lived  in  a  town  of  Persia  two  broth- 
ers, one  named  Cassim  and  the  other  AH  Baba. 
Their  father  divided  a  small  inheritance  equally  be- 
tween them.  Cassim  married  a  very  rich  wife,  and 
became  a  wealthy  merchant.  Ali  Baba  married  a 
woman  as  poor  as  himself,  and  lived  by  cutting 
wood,  and  bringing  it  upon  three  asses  into  the 
town  to  sell. 

One  day,  when  Ali  Baba  was  in  the  forest,  and 
had  just  cut  wood  enough  to  load  his  asses,  he  saw 
at  a  distance  a  great  cloud  of  dust,  which  seemed 
to  approach  him.  He  observed  it  with  attention, 
and  distinguished  soon  after  a  body  of  horsemen, 
who  he  suspected  might  be  robbers.  He  deter- 
mined to  leave  his  asses  to  save  himself.  He  climbed 
up  a  large  tree,  planted  on  a  high  rock,  whose 
branches  were  thick  enough  to  conceal  him,  and 
yet  enabled  him  to  see  all  that  passed  without  being 
discovered. 

The  troop,  who  were  to  the  number  of  forty,  all 
well  mounted  and  armed,  came  to  the  foot  of  the 
rock  on  which  the  tree  stood,  and  there  dismounted. 
Every  man  unbridled  his  horse,  tied  him  to  some 


no    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

shrub,  and  hung  about  his  neck  a  bag  of  corn  which 
they  brought  behind  them.  Then  each  of  them 
took  off  his  saddle-bag,  which  seemed  to  AH  Baba 
to  be  full  of  gold  and  silver  from  its  weight.  One, 
whom  he  took  to  be  their  captain,  came  -under  the 
tree  in  which  Ali  Baba  was  concealed ;  and  making 
his  way  through  some  shrubs,  pronounced  these 
words :  "  Open,  Sesame !  "  x  As  soon  as  the  captain 
of  the  robbers  had  thus  spoken,  a  door  opened  in 
the  rock ;  and  after  he  had  made  all  his  troop  enter 
before  him,  he  followed  them,  when  the  door  shut 
again  of  itself. 

The  robbers  stayed  some  time  within  the  rock, 
during  which  Ali  Baba,  fearful  of  being  caught,  re- 
mained in  the  tree. 

At  last  the  door  opened  again,  and  as  the  captain 
went  in  last,  so  he  came  out  first,  and  stood  to  see 
them  all  pass  by  him;  when  Ali  Baba  heard  him 
make  the  door  close  by  pronouncing  these  words, 
"  Shut,  Sesame !  "  Every  man  at  once  went  and 
bridled  his  horse,  fastened  his  wallet,  and  mounted 
again.  When  the  captain  saw  them  all  ready,  he 
put  himself  at  their  head,  and  they  returned  the 
way  they  had  come. 

Ali  Baba  followed  them  with  his  eyes  as  far  as 
he  could  see  them;  and  afterward  stayed  a  consid- 
erable time  before  he  descended.  Remembering 
the  words  the  captain  of  the  robbers  used  to  cause 
the  door  to  open  and  shut,  he  had  the  curiosity  to 
try  if  his  pronouncing  them  would  have  the  same 
effect.  Accordingly,  he  went  among  the  shrubs,  and 
perceiving  the  door  concealed  behind  them,  stood 

1 "  Sesame  "  is  a  small  grain. 


The  History  of  Ali  Baba  in 

before  it,  and  said,  "  Open,  Sesame !  "  The  door  in* 
stantly  flew  wide  open. 

AH  Baba,  who  expected  a  dark,  dismal  cavern, 
was  surprised  to  see  a  well-lighted  and  spacious 
chamber,  which  received  the  light  from  an  opening 
at  the  top  of  the  rock,  and  in  which  were  all  sorts 
of  provisions,  rich  bales  of  silk,  stuff,  brocade,  and 
valuable  carpeting,  piled  upon  one  another ;  gold 
and  silver  ingots  in  great  heaps,  and  money  in  bags. 
The  sight  of  all  these  riches  made  him  suppose  that 
this  cave  must  have  been  occupied  for  ages  by  rob- 
bers, who  had  succeeded  one  another. 

Ali  Baba  went  boldly  into  the  cave,  and  collected 
as  much  of  the  gold  coin,  which  was  in  bags,  as 
he  thought  his  three  asses  could  carry.  When  he 
had  loaded  them  with  the  bags,  he  laid  wood  over 
them  in  such  a  manner  that  they  could  not  be  seen. 
When  he  had  passed  in  and  out  as  often  as  he 
wished,  he  stood  before  the  door,  and  pronouncing 
the  words,  "  Shut,  Sesame !  "  the  door  closed  of  it- 
self.   He  then  made  the  best  of  his  way  to  town. 

When  Ali  Baba  got  home,  he  drove  his  asses  into 
a  little  yard,  shut  the  gates  very  carefully,  threw  off 
the  wood  that  covered  the  panniers,  carried  the  bags 
into  his  house,  and  ranged  them  in  order  before  his 
wife.  He  then  emptied  the  bags,  which  raised  such 
a  great  heap  of  gold  as  dazzled  his  wife's  eyes,  and 
then  he  told  her  the  whole  adventure  from  begin- 
ning to  end,  and,  above  all,  recommended  her  to 
keep  it  secret. 

The  wife  rejoiced  greatly  in  their  good  fortune,, 
and  would  count  all  the  gold  piece  by  piece.  "  Wife," 
replied   Ali   Baba,   "  you   do  not  know  what   you 


ii2     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

undertake,  when  you  pretend  to  count  the  money; 
you  will  never  have  done.  I  will  dig  a  hole,  and 
bury  it.  There  is  no  time  to  be  lost."  "  You  are  in 
the  right,  husband,"  replied  she,  "  but  let  us  know,  as 
nigh  as  possible,  how  much  we  have.  I  will  borrow 
a  small  measure,  and  measure  it,  while  you  dig  the 
hole." 

Away  the  wife  ran  to  her  brother-in-law  Cassim, 
who  lived  just  by,  and  addressing  herself  to  his 
wife,  desired  her  to  lend  her  a  measure  for  a  little 
while.  Her  sister-in-law  asked  her  whether  she 
would  have  a  great  or  a  small  one.  The  other  asked 
for  a  small  one.  She  bade  her  stay  a  little,  and  she 
would  readily  fetch  one. 

The  sister-in-law  did  so,  but  as  she  knew  AH 
Baba's  poverty,  she  was  curious  to  know  what  sort 
of  grain  his  wife  wanted  to  measure,  and  artfully 
putting  some  suet  at  the  bottom  of  the  measure, 
brought  it  to  her,  with  an  excuse  that  she  was  sorry 
that  she  had  made  her  stay  so  long,  but  that  she 
could  not  find  it  sooner. 

Ali  Baba's  wife  went  home,  set  the  measure  upon 
the  heap  of  gold,  filled  it,  and  emptied  it  often  upon 
the  sofa,  till  she  had  done,  when  she  was  very  well 
satisfied  to  find  the  number  of  measures  amounted  to 
so  many  as  they  did,  and  went  to  tell  her  husband, 
who  had  almost  finished  digging  the  hole.  While 
Ali  Baba  was  burying  the  gold,  his  wife,  to  show 
her  exactness  and  diligence  to  her  sister-in-law, 
carried  the  measure  back  again,  but  without  taking 
notice  that  a  piece  of  gold  had  stuck  to  the  bottom. 
"  Sister,"  said  she,  giving  it  to  her  again,  "  you  see 


The  History  of  Ali  Baba  113 

that  I  have  not  kept  your  measure  long.  I  am 
obliged  to  you  for  it,  and  return  it  with  thanks." 

As  soon  as  Ali  Baba's  wife  was  gone,  Cassim's 
looked  at  the  bottom  of  the  measure,  and  was  in 
inexpressible  surprise  to  find  a  piece  of  gold  sticking 
to  it.  Envy  immediately  possessed  her  breast. 
"  What !  "  said  she,  "  has  Ali  Baba  gold  so  plentiful 
as  to  measure  it?    Whence  has  he  all  this  wealth?  " 

Cassim,  her  husband,  was  at  his  counting-house. 
When  he  came  home,  his  wife  said  to  him,  "  Cas- 
sim, I  know  you  think  yourself  rich,  but  Ali  Baba 
is  infinitely  richer  than  you.  He  does  not  count 
his  money,  but  measures  it."  Cassim  desired  her  to 
explain  the  riddle,  which  she  did,  by  telling  him  the 
stratagem  she  had  used  to  make  the  discovery,  and 
showed  him  the  piece  of  money,  which  was  so  old 
that  they  could  not  tell  in  what  prince's  reign  it  was 
coined. 

Cassim,  after  he  had  married  the  rich  widow,  had 
never  treated  Ali  Baba  as  a  brother,  but  neglected 
him;  and  now,  instead  of  being  pleased,  he  conceived 
a  base  envy  at  his  brother's  prosperity.  He  could 
not  sleep  all  that  night,  and  went  to  him  in  the  morn- 
ing before  sunrise.  "  Ali  Baba,"  said  he,  "  I  am  sur- 
prised at  you ;  you  pretend  to  be  miserably  poor,  and 
yet  you  measure  gold.  My  wife  found  this  at  the 
bottom  of  the  measure  you  borrowed  yesterday." 

By  this  discourse,  Ali  Baba  perceived  that  Cas- 
sim and  his  wife,  through  his  own  wife's  folly,  knew 
what  they  had  so  much  reason  to  conceal ;  but  what 
was  done,  could  not  be  undone.  Therefore,  without 
showing  the  least  surprise  or  trouble,  he  confessed 
8 


ii4    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

all,  and  offered  his  brother  part  of  his  treasure  to 
keep  the  secret. 

"  I  expect  as  much,"  replied  Cassim  haughtily ; 
"but  I  must  know  exactly  where  this  treasure  is, 
and  how  I  may  visit  it  myself  when  I  choose ;  other- 
wise, I  will  go  and  inform  against  you,  and  then  you 
will  not  only  get  no  more,  but  will  lose  all  you  have, 
and  I  shall  have  a  share  for  my  information." 

Ali  Baba  told  him  all  he  desired,  even  to  the  very 
words  he  was  to  use  to  gain  admission  into  the 
cave. 

Cassim  rose  the  next  morning  long  before  the 
sun,  and  set  out  for  the  forest  with  ten  mules  bear- 
ing great  chests,  which  he  designed  to  fill,  and  fol- 
lowed the  road  which  Ali  Baba  had  pointed  out  to 
him.  He  was  not  long  before  he  reached  the  rock, 
and  found  out  the  place,  by  the  tree  and  other  marks 
which  his  brother  had  given  him.  When  he  reached 
the  entrance  of  the  cavern,  he  pronounced  the  words, 
"  Open,  Sesame !  "  The  door  immediately  opened, 
and,  when  he  was  in,  closed  upon  him.  In  examin- 
ing the  cave,  he  was  in  great  admiration  to  find 
much  more  riches  than  he  had  expected  from  Ali 
Baba's  relation.  He  quickly  laid  as  many  bags  of 
gold  as  he  could  carry  at  the  door  of  the  cavern; 
but  his  thoughts  were  so  full  of  the  great  riches  he 
should  possess,  that  he  could  not  think  of  the  neces- 
sary word  to  make  it  open,  but  instead  of  "  Se- 
same," said,  "  Open,  Barley ! "  and  was  much 
amazed  to  find  that  the  door  remained  fast  shut. 
He  named  several  sorts  of  grain,  but  still  the  door 
would  not  open. 

Cassim  had  never  expected  such  an  incident,  and 


The  History  of  All  Baba  ii<j 

was  so  alarmed  at  the  danger  he  was  in,  that  the 
more  he  endeavoured  to  remember  the  word  "  Se- 
same," the  more  his  memory  was  confounded,  and 
he  had  as  much  forgotten  it  as  if  he  had  never 
heard  it  mentioned.  He  threw  down  the  bags  he 
had  loaded  himself  with,  and  walked  distractedly  up 
and  down  the  cave,  without  having  the  least  regard 
to  the  riches  that  were  around  him. 

About  noon  the  robbers  visited  their  cave.  At 
some  distance  they  saw  Cassim's  mules  straggling 
about  the  rock,  with  great  chests  on  their  backs. 
Alarmed  at  this,  they  galloped  full  speed  to  the 
cave.  They  drove  away  the  mules,  which  strayed 
through  the  forest  so  far,  that  they  were  soon  out 
of  sight,  and  went  directly,  with  their  naked  sabres 
in  their  hands,  to  the  door,  which,  on  their  captain 
pronouncing  the  proper  words,  immediately  opened. 

Cassim,  who  heard  the  noise  of  the  horses'  feet,, 
at  once  guessed  the  arrival  of  the  robbers,  and  re- 
solved to  make  one  effort  for  his  life.  He  rushed 
to  the  door,  and  no  sooner  saw  the  door  open,  than 
he  ran  out  and  threw  the  leader  down,  but  could 
not  escape  the  other  robbers,  who  with  their  scimi- 
tars soon  deprived  him  of  life. 

The  first  care  of  the  robbers  after  this  was  to  ex- 
amine the  cave.  They  found  all  the  bags  which 
Cassim  had  brought  to  the  door,  to  be  ready  to  load 
his  mules,  and  carried  them  again  to  their  places, 
but  they  did  not  miss  what  Ali  Baba  had  taken  away 
before.  Then  holding  a  council,  and  deliberating 
upon  this  occurrence,  they  guessed  that  Cassim, 
when  he  was  in,  could  no  get  out  again,  but  could 
not  imagine  how  he  had  learned  the  secret  words 


n6    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

by  which  alone  he  could  enter.  They  could  not  deny 
the  fact  of  his  being  there ;  and  to  terrify  any  per- 
son or  accomplice  who  should  attempt  the  same 
thing,  they  agreed  to  cut  Cassim's  body  into  four 
quarters — to  hang  two  on  one  side,  and  two  on  the 
other,  within  the  door  of  the  cave.  They  had  no 
sooner  taken  this  resolution  than  they  put  it  in  exe- 
cution; and  when  they  had  nothing  more  to  detain 
them,  left  the  place  of  their  hoards  well  closed. 
They  mounted  their  horses,  went  to  beat  the  roads 
again,  and  to  attack  the  caravans  they  might  meet. 

In  the  mean  time,  Cassim's  wife  was  very  uneasy 
when  night  came,  and  her  husband  was  not  returned. 
She  ran  to  Ali  Baba  in  great  alarm,  and  said,  "  I 
believe,  brother-in-law,  that  you  know  Cassim  is 
gone  to  the  forest,  and  upon  what  account ;  it  is  now 
night,  and  he  has  not  returned;  I  am  afraid  some 
misfortune  has  happened  to  him."  Ali  Baba  told 
her  that  she  need  not  frighten  herself,  for  that  cer- 
tainly Cassim  would  not  think  it  proper  to  come  into 
the  town  till  the  night  should  be  pretty  far  advanced. 

Cassim's  wife,  considering  how  much  it  concerned 
iher  husband  to  keep  the  business  secret,  was  the 
more  easily  persuaded  to  believe  her  brother-in-law. 
She  went  home  again,  and  waited  patiently  till  mid- 
night. Then  her  fear  redoubled,  and  her  grief  was 
the  more  sensible  because  she  was  forced  to  keep  it 
to  herself.  She  repented  of  her  foolish  curiosity, 
and  cursed  her  desire  of  prying  into  the  affairs  of 
her  brother  and  sister-in-law.  She  spent  all  the 
night  in  weeping;  and  as  soon  as  it  was  day  went 
to  them,  telling  them,  by  her  tears,  the  cause  of  her 
coming. 


The  History  of  Ali  Baba  117 

AH  Baba  did  not  wait  for  his  sister-in-law  to  de- 
sire him  to  go  to  see  what  was  become  of  Cassim,  but 
departed  immediately  with  his  three  asses,  begging 
of  her  first  to  moderate  her  affliction.  He  went  to 
the  forest,  and  when  he  came  near  the  rock,  having 
seen  neither  his  brother  nor  the  mules  in  his  way, 
was  seriously  alarmed  at  finding  some  blood  spilt 
near  the  door,  which  he  took  for  an  ill  omen ;  but 
when  he  had  pronounced  the  word,  and  the  door 
had  opened,  he  was  struck  with  horror  at  the  dismal 
sight  of  his  brother's  body.  He  was  not  long  in  de- 
termining how  he  should  pay  the  last  dues  to  his 
brother ;  but  without  adverting  to  the  little  fraternal 
affection  he  had  shown  for  him,  went  into  the  cave, 
to  find  something  to  enshroud  his  remains ;  and  hav- 
ing loaded  one  of  his  asses  with  them,  covered  them 
over  with  wood.  The  other  two  asses  he  loaded 
with  bags  of  gold,  covering  them  with  wood  also  as 
before ;  and  then  bidding  the  door  shut,  came  away ; 
but  was  so  cautious  as  to  stop  some  time  at  the  end 
of  the  forest,  that  he  might  not  go  into  the  town  be- 
fore night.  When  he  came  home,  he  drove  the  two 
asses  loaded  with  gold  into  his  little  yard,  and  left 
the  care  of  unloading  them  to  his  wife,  while  he  led 
the  other  to  his  sister-in-law's  house. 

Ali  Baba  knocked  at  the  dor,  which  was  opened 
by  Morgiana,  a  clever,  intelligent  slave,  who  was 
fruitful  in  inventions  to  meet  the  most  difficult  cir- 
cumstances. When  he  came  into  the  court,  he  un- 
loaded the  ass,  and  taking  Morgiana  aside,  said  to 
her,  "  You  must  observe  an  inviolable  secrecy.  Your 
master's  body  is  contained  in  these  two  panniers. 
We  must  burv  him  as  if  he  had  died  a  natural  death. 


n8    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Go  now  and  tell  your  mistress.  I  leave  the  matter 
to  your  wit  and  skilful  devices." 

Ali  Baba  helped  to  place  the  body  in  Cassim's 
house,  again  recommended  to  Morgiana  to  act  her 
part  well,  and  then  returned  with  his  ass. 

Morgiana  went  out  early  the  next  morning  to  a 
druggist,  and  asked  for  a  sort  of  lozenge  which  was 
considered  efficacious  in  the  most  dangerous  dis- 
orders. The  apothecary  inquired  who  was  ill  ?  She 
replied,  with  a  sigh,  "  Her  good  master  Cassim  him- 
self:  and  that  he  could  neither  eat  nor  speak."  In 
the  evening  Morgiana  went  to  the  same  druggist's 
again,  and  with  tears  in  her  eyes,  asked  for  an  es- 
sence which  they  used  to  give  to  sick  people  only 
when  at  the  last  extremity.  "  Alas !  "  said  she,  tak- 
ing it  from  the  apothecary,  "  I  am  afraid  that  this 
remedy  will  have  no  better  effect  than  the  lozenges ; 
and  that  I  shall  lose  my  good  master." 

On  the  other  hand,  as  Ali  Baba  and  his  wife  were 
often  seen  to  go  between  Cassim's  and  their  own 
house  all  that  day,  and  to  seem  melancholy,  nobody 
was  surprised  in  the  evening  to  hear  the  lamentable 
shrieks  and  cries  of  Cassim's  wife  and  Morgiana, 
who  gave  out  everywhere  that  her  master  was  dead. 
The  next  morning  at  daybreak  Morgiana  went  to  an 
old  cobbler  whom  she  knew  to  be  always  early  at  his 
stall,  and  bidding  him  good-morrow,  put  a  piece  of 
gold  into  his  hand,  saying,  "  Baba  Mustapha,  you 
must  bring  with  you  your  sewing  tackle,  and  come 
with  me ;  but  I  must  tell  you,  I  shall  blindfold  you 
when  you  come  to  such  a  place." 

Baba  Mustapha  seemed  to  hesitate  a  little  at  these 
words.    "  Oh !  oh !  "  replied  he,  "  you  would  have 


The  History  of  Alt  Baba  119 

me  do  something  against  my  conscience,  or  against 
my  honour?"  "God  forbid,"  said  Morgiana,  put- 
ting another  piece  of  gold  into  his  hand,  "  that  I 
should  ask  anything  that  is  contrary  to  your  hon- 
our !  only  come  along  with  me  and  fear  nothing." 

Baba  Mustapha  went  with  Morgiana,  who,  after 
she  had  bound  his  eyes  with  a  handkerchief  at  the 
place  she  had  mentioned,  conveyed  him  to  her  de- 
ceased master's  house,  and  never  unloosed  his  eyes 
till  he  had  entered  the  room  where  she  had  put  the 
corpse  together.  "  Baba  Mustapha,"  said  she,  "  you 
must  make  haste  and  sew  the  parts  of  this  body 
together;  and  when  you  have  done,  I  will  give  you 
another  piece  of  gold." 

After  Baba  Mustapha  had  finished  his  task,  she 
blindfolded  him  again,  gave  him  the  third  piece 
of  gold  as  she  had  promised,  and  recommending 
secrecy  to  him  carried  him  back  to  the  place  where 
she  first  bound  his  eyes,  pulled  off  the  bandage,  and 
let  him  go  home,  but  watched  him  that  he  returned 
toward  his  stall,  till  he  was  quite  out  of  sight,  for 
fear  he  should  have  the  curiosity  to  return  and 
dodge  her ;  she  then  went  home.  Morgiana,  on  her 
return,  warmed  some  water  to  wash  the  body,  and 
at  the  same  time  Ali  Baba  perfumed  it  with  incense, 
and  wrapped  it  in  the  burying  clothes  with  the 
accustomed  ceremonies.  Not  long  after  the  proper 
officer  brought  the  bier,  and  when  the  attendants  of 
jthe  mosque,  whose  business  it  was  to  wash  the  dead, 
offered  to  perform  their  duty,  she  told  them  that  it 
was  done  already.  Shortly  after  this  the  imaun  and 
the  other  ministers  of  the  mosque  arrived.  Four 
neighbours    carried    the    corpse    to    the    burying* 


120    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

ground,  following  the  imaun,  who  recited  some 
prayers.  Ali  Baba  came  after  with  some  neigh- 
bours, who  often  relieved  the  others  in  carrying  the 
bier  to  the  burying-ground.  Morgiana,  a  slave  to 
the  deceased,  followed  in  the  procession,  weeping, 
beating  her  breast,  and  tearing  her  hair.  Cassim's 
wife  stayed  at  home  mourning,  uttering  lamentable 
cries  with  the  women  of  the  neighbourhood,  who 
came,  according  to  custom,  during  the  funeral,  and 
joining  their  lamentations  with  hers  filled  the  quar- 
ter far  and  near  with  sounds  of  sorrow. 

In  this  manner  Cassim's  melancholy  death  was 
concealed  and  hushed  up  between  Ali  Baba,  his 
widow,  and  Morgiana,  his  slave,  with  so  much  con- 
trivance that  nobody  in  the  city  had  the  least  knowl- 
edge or  suspicion  of  the  cause  of  it.  Three  or  four 
days  after  the  funeral,  Ali  Baba  removed  his  few 
goods  openly  to  his  sister-in-law's  house,  in  which 
it  was  agreed  that  he  should  in  future  live;  but  the 
money  he  had  taken  from  the  robbers  he  conveyed 
thither  by  night.  As  for  Cassim's  warehouse,  he 
entrusted  it  entirely  to  the  management  of  his  eldest 
son. 

While  these  things  were  being  done,  the  forty 
robbers  again  visited  their  retreat  in  the  forest. 
Great,  then,  was  their  surprise  to  find  Cassim's  body 
taken  away,  with  some  of  their  bags  of  gold.  "  We 
are  certainly  discovered,"  said  the  captain.  "  The 
removal  of  the  body,  and  the  loss  of  some  of  our 
money,  plainly  shows  that  the  man  whom  we  killed 
had  an  accomplice :  and  for  our  own  lives'  sake  we 
must  try  and  find  him.    What  say  yow,  my  lads  ?  " 


The  History  of  Alt  Baba  121 

All  the  robbers  unanimously  approved  of  the  cap- 
tain's proposal. 

"  Well,"  said  the  captain,  "  one  of  you,  the  bold- 
est and  most  skilful  among  you,  must  go  into  the 
town,  disguised  as  a  traveller  and  a  stranger,  to  try 
if  he  can  hear  any  talk  of  the  man  whom  we  have 
killed,  and  endeavour  to  find  out  who  he  was,  and 
where  he  lived.  This  is  a  matter  of  the  first  im- 
portance, and  for  fear  of  any  treachery,  I  propose 
that  whoever  undertakes  this  business  without  suc- 
cess, even  though  the  failure  arises  only  from  an 
error  of  judgment,  shall  suffer  death." 

Without  waiting  for  the  sentiments  of  his  com- 
panions, one  of  the  robbers  started  up,  and  said, 
"  I  submit  to  this  condition,  and  think  it  an  honour 
to  expose  my  life  to  serve  the  troop." 

After  this  robber  had  received  great  commenda- 
tions from  the  captain  and  his  comrades,  he  dis- 
guised himself  so  that  nobody  would  take  him  for 
what  he  was ;  and  taking  his  leave  of  the  troop  that 
night,  went  into  the  town  just  at  daybreak;  and 
walked  up  and  down,  till  accidentally  he  came  to 
Baba  Mustapha's  stall,  which  was  always  open  be- 
fore any  of  the  shops. 

Baba  Mustapha  was  seated  with  an  awl  in  his 
hand,  just  going  to  work.  The  robber  saluted  him, 
bidding  him  good-morrow ;  and  perceiving  that  he 
was  old,  said,  "  Honest  man,  you  begin  to  work 
very  early:  is  it  possible  that  one  of  your  age  can 
see  so  well?  I  question,  even  if  it  were  somewhat 
lighter,  whether  you  could  see  to  stitch." 

"  You  do  not  know  me,"  replied  Baba  Mustapha ; 
"  for  old  as  I  am,  I  have  extraordinary  good  eyes ; 


122     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

and  you  will  not  doubt  it  when  I  tell  you  that  I 
sewed  the  body  of  a  dead  man  together  in  a  place 
where  I  had  not  so  much  light  as  I  have  now." 

"  A  dead  body !  "  exclaimed  the  robber,  with  af- 
fected amazement.  "  Yes,  yes,"  answered  Baba 
Mustapha,  "  I  see  you  want  to  have  me  speak  out, 
but  you  shall  know  no  more." 

The  robber  felt  sure  that  he  had  discovered  what 
he  sought.  He  pulled  out  a  piece  of  gold,  and  put- 
ting it  into  Baba  Mustapha's  hand,  said  to  him,  "  I 
do  not  want  to  learn  your  secret,  though  I  can 
assure  you  you  might  safely  trust  me  with  it.  The 
only  thing  I  desire  of  you  is  to  show  me  the  house 
where  you  stitched  up  the  dead  body." 

"  If  I  were  disposed  to  do  you  that  favour,"  re- 
plied Baba  Mustapha,  "  I  assure  you  I  cannot.  I 
was  taken  to  a  certain  place,  whence  I  was  led 
blindfold  to  the  house,  and  afterward  brought  back 
again  in  the  same  manner;  you  see,  therefore, 
the  impossibility  of  my  doing  what  you  desire." 

"  Well,"  replied  the  robber,  "  you  may,  however, 
remember  a  little  of  the  way  that  you  were  led 
blindfold.  Come,  let  me  blind  your  eyes  at  the 
same  place.  We  will  walk  together;  perhaps  you 
may  recognise  some  part;  and  as  everybody  ought 
to  be  paid  for  their  trouble,  there  is  another  piece  of 
gold  for  you;  gratify  me  in  what  I  ask  you."  So 
saying,  he  put  another  piece  of  gold  into  his  hand. 

The  two  pieces  of  gold  were  great  temptations 
to  Baba  Mustapha.  He  looked  at  them  a  long  time 
in  his  hand,  without  saying  a  word,  but  at  last  he 
pulled  out  his  purse  and  put  them  in.  "  I  cannot 
promise,"  said  he  to  the  robber,  "  that  I  can  remem* 


The  History  of  Ali  Baba  123 

ber  the  way  exactly ;  but  since  you  desire,  I  will  try 
what  I  can  do."  At  these  words  Baba  Mustapha 
rose  up,  to  the  great  joy  of  the  robber,  and  led  him 
to  the  place  where  Morgiana  had  bound  his  eyes. 
"  It  was  here,"  said  Baba  Mustapha,  "  I  was  blind- 
folded ;  and  I  turned  this  way."  The  robber  tied  his 
handkerchief  over  his  eyes,  and  walked  by  him  till 
he  stopped  directly  at  Cassim's  house,  where  Ali 
Baba  then  lived.  The  thief,  before  he  pulled  off  the 
band,  marked  the  door  with  a  piece  of  chalk,  which 
he  had  ready  in  his  hand,  and  then  asked  him  if  he 
knew  whose  house  that  was;  to  which  Baba  Mus- 
tapha replied  that  as  he  did  not  live  in  that  neigh- 
bourhood, he  could  not  tell. 

The  robber,  finding  he  could  discover  no  more 
from  Baba  Mustapha,  thanked  him  for  the  trouble 
he  had  taken,  and  left  him  to  go  back  to  his  stall, 
while  he  returned  to  the  forest,  persuaded  that  he 
should  be  very  well  received. 

A  little  after  the  robber  and  Baba  Mustapha  had 
parted,  Morgiana  went  out  of  Ali  Baba's  house  upon 
some  errand,  and  upon  her  return,  seeing  the  mark 
the  robber  had  made,  stopped  to  observe  it.  "  What 
can  be  the  meaning  of  this  mark  ?  "  said  she  to  her- 
self ;  "  somebody  intends  my  master  no  good :  how- 
ever, with  whatever  intention  it  was  done,  it  is  ad- 
visable to  guard  against  the  worst."  Accordingly, 
she  fetched  a  piece  of  chalk,  and  marked  two  or  three 
doors  on  each  side,  in  the  same  manner,  without 
saying  a  word  to  her  master  or  mistress. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  robber  rejoined  his  troop  in 
the  forest,  and  recounted  to  them  his  success;  ex- 
patiating upon  his  good  fortune,  in  meeting  so  soon 


124    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

with  the  only  person  who  could  inform  him  of  what 
he  wanted  to  know.  All  the  robbers  listened  to  him 
with  the  utmost  satisfaction ;  when  the  captain,  after 
commending  his  diligence,  addressing  himself  to 
them  all,  said,  "  Comrades,  we  have  no  time  to  lose : 
let  us  set  off  well  armed,  without  its  appearing  who 
we  are;  but  that  we  may  not  excite  any  suspicion, 
let  only  one  or  two  go  into  the  town  together,  and 
join  at  our  rendezvous,  which  shall  be  the  great 
square.  In  the  mean  time,  our  comrade  who  brought 
us  the  good  news  and  I  will  go  and  find  out  the 
house,  that  we  may  consult  what  had  best  be  done." 

This  speech  and  plan  was  approved  of  by  all,  and 
they  were  soon  ready.  They  filed  off  in  parties  of 
two  each,  after  some  interval  of  time,  and  got  into 
the  town  without  being  in  the  least  suspected.  The 
captain,  and  he  who  had  visited  the  town  in  the 
morning  as  spy,  came  in  the  last.  He  led  the  cap- 
tain into  the  street  where  he  had  marked  Ali  Baba's 
residence ;  and  when  they  came  to  the  first  of  the 
houses  which  Morgiana  had  marked,  he  pointed  it 
out.  But  the  captain  observed  that  the  next  door 
was  chalked  in  the  same  manner  and  in  the  same 
place ;  and  showing  it  to  his  guide,  asked  him  which 
house  it  was,  that,  or  the  first.  The  guide  was  so 
confounded,  that  he  knew  not  what  answer  to  make ; 
but  still  more  puzzled,  when  he  and  the  captain  saw 
five  or  six  houses  similarly  marked.  He  assured 
the  captain,  with  an  oath,  that  he  had  marked  but 
one,  and  could  not  tell  who  had  chalked  the  rest,  so 
that  he  could  not  distinguish  the  house  which  the 
cobbler  had  stopped  at. 

The  captain,  finding  that  their  design  had  proved 


The  History  of  All  Bab  a  125 

abortive,  went  directly  to  the  place  of  meeting, 
and  told  his  troop  that  they  had  lost  their  labour, 
and  must  return  to  their  cave.  He  himself  set  them 
the  example,  and  they  all  returned  as  they  had 
come. 

When  the  troop  was  all  got  together,  the  captain 
told  them  the  reason  of  their  returning;  and  pres- 
ently the  conductor  was  declared  by  all  worthy  of 
death.  He  condemned  himself,  acknowledging  that 
he  ought  to  have  taken  better  precaution,  and  pre- 
pared to  receive  the  stroke  from  him  who  was  ap- 
pointed to  cut  off  his  head. 

<  But  as  the  safety  of  the  troop  required  the  discov- 
ery of  the  second  intruder  into  the  cave,  another  of 
the  gang,  who  promised  himself  that  he  should  suc- 
ceed better,  presented  himself,  and  his  offer  being 
accepted,  he  went  and  corrupted  Baba  Mustapha, 
as  the  other  had  done ;  and  being  shown  the  house, 
marked  it  in  a  place  more  remote  from  sight,  with 
red  chalk. 

Not  long  after,  Morgiana,  whose  eyes  nothing 
could  escape,  went  out,  and  seeing  the  red  chalk,  and 
arguing  with  herself  as  she  had  done  before,  marked 
the  other  neighbours'  houses  in  the  same  place  and 
manner. 

The  robber,  at  his  return  to  his  company,  valued 
himself  much  on  the  precaution  he  had  taken,  which 
he  looked  upon  as  an  infallible  way  of  distinguish- 
ing Ali  Baba's  house  from  the  others ;  and  the  cap- 
tain and  all  of  them  thought  it  must  succeed.  They 
conveyed  themselves  into  the  town  with  the  same 
precaution  as  before ;  but  when  the  robber  and  his 
captain  came  to  the  street,  they  found  the  same  diffi- 


126     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

culty;  at  which  the  captain  was  enraged,  and  the 
robber  in  as  great  confusion  as  his  predecessor. 

Thus  the  captain  and  his  troop  were  forced  to  re- 
tire a  second  time,  and  much  more  dissatisfied ;  while 
the  robber  who  had  been  the  author  of  the  mistake 
underwent  the  same  punishment,  to  which  he  will- 
ingly submitted. 

The  captain,  having  lost  two  brave  fellows  of  his 
troop,  was  afraid  of  diminishing  it  too  much  by  pur- 
suing this  plan  to  get  information  of  the  residence 
of  their  plunderer.  He  found  by  their  example  that 
their  heads  were  not  so  good  as  their  hands  on  such 
occasions ;  and  therefore  resolved  to  take  upon  him- 
self the  important  commission. 

Accordingly,  he  went  and  addressed  himself  to 
Baba  Mustapha,  who  did  him  the  same  service  he 
had  done  to  the  other  robbers.  He  did  not  set  any 
particular  mark  on  the  house,  but  examined  and  ob- 
served it  so  carefully,  by  passing  often  by  it,  that  it 
was  impossible  for  him  to  mistake  it. 

The  captain,  well  satisfied  with  his  attempt,  and 
informed  of  what  he  wanted  to  know,  returned  to 
the  forest;  and  when  he  came  into  the  cave,  where 
the  troop  waited  for  him,  said,  "  Now,  comrades, 
nothing  can  prevent  our  full  revenge,  as  I  am  cer- 
tain of  the  house;  and  in  my  way  hither  I  have 
thought  how  to  put  it  into  execution,  but  if  any 
one  can  form  a  better  expedient,  let  him  communi- 
cate it."  He  then  told  them  his  contrivance;  and 
as  they  approved  of  it,  ordered  them  to  go  into  the 
villages  about,  and  buy  nineteen  mules,  with  thirty- 
eight  large  leather  jars,  one  full  of  oil,  and  the 
others  empty. 


The  History  of  Ali  Baba  12/ 

In  two  or  three  days'  time  the  robbers  had  pur- 
chased the  mules  and  jars,  and  as  the  mouths  of  the 
jars  were  rather  too  narrow  for  his  purpose,  the 
captain  caused  them  to  be  widened,  and  after  having 
put  one  of  his  men  into  each,  with  the  weapons 
which  he  thought  fit,  leaving  open  the  seam  which 
had  been  undone  to  leave  them  room  to  breathe, 
he  rubbed  the  jars  on  the  outside  with  oil  from  the 
full  vessel. 

Things  being  thus  prepared,  when  the  nineteen 
mules  were  loaded  with  thirty-seven  robbers  in  jars, 
and  the  jar  of  oil,  the  captain,  as  their  driver,  set 
out  with  them,  and  reached  the  town  by  the  dusk 
of  the  evening,  as  he  had  intended.  He  led  them 
through  the  streets,  till  he  came  to  Ali  Baba's,  at 
whose  door  he  designed  to  have  knocked ;  but  was 
prevented  by  his  sitting  there  after  supper  to  take  a 
little  fresh  air.  He  stopped  his  mules,  addressed 
himself  to  him,  and  said,  "  I  have  brought  some  oil 
a  great  way,  to  sell  at  to-morrow's  market ;  and  it  is 
now  so  late  that  I  do  not  know  where  to  lodge.  If 
I  should  not  be  troublesome  to  you,  dp  me  the  fa- 
vour to  let  me  pass  the  night  with  you,  and  I  shall 
be  very  much  obliged  by  your  hospitality." 

Though  Ali  Baba  had  seen  the  captain  of  the  rob- 
bers in  the  forest,  and  had  heard  him  speak,  it  was 
impossible  to  know  him  in  the  disguise  of  an  oil 
merchant.  He  told  him  he  should  be  welcome,  and 
immediately  opened  his  gates  for  the  mules  to  go 
into  the  yard.  At  the  same  time  he  called  to  a  slave, 
and  ordered  him,  when  the  mules  were  unloaded,  to 
put  them  into  the  stable,  and  to  feed  them;  and 
then  went  to  Morgiana,  to  bid  her  get  a  good  sup- 


128    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

per  for  his  guest.  After  they  had  finished  supper, 
AH  Baba,  charging  Morgiana  afresh  to  take  care  of 
his  guest,  said  to  her,  "  To-morrow  morning  I  de- 
sign to  go  to  the  bath  before  day ;  take  care  my  bath- 
ing linen  be  ready,  give  them  to  Abdalla  (which 
was  the  slave's  name),  and  make  me  some  good 
broth  against  my  return."    After  this  he  went  to  bed. 

In  the  mean  time  the  captain  of  the  robbers  went 
into  the  yard,  and  took  off  the  lid  of  each  jar,  and 
gave  his  people  orders  what  to  do.  Beginning  at 
the  first  jar,  and  so  on  to  the  last,  he  said  to  each 
man :  "  As  soon  as  I  throw  some  stones  out  of  the 
chamber  window  where  I  lie,  do  not  fail  to  come 
out,  and  I  will  immediately  join  you."  After  this 
he  returned  into  the  house,  when  Morgiana,  taking 
up  a  light,  conducted  him  to  his  chamber,  where  she 
left  him;  and, he,  to  avoid  any  suspicion,  put  the 
/ight  out  soon  after,  and  laid  himself  down  in  his 
clothes,  that  he  might  be  the  more  ready  to  rise. 

Morgiana,  remembering  AH  Baba's  orders,  got 
his  bathing  linen  ready,  and  ordered  Abdalla  to  set 
on  the  pot  for  the  broth ;  but  while  she  was  preparing 
it  the  lamp  went  out,  and  there  was  no  more  oil  in 
the  house,  nor  any  candles.  What  to  do  she  did  not 
know,  for  the  broth  must  be  made.  Abdalla,  seeing 
her  very  uneasy,  said,  "  Do  not  fret  and  tease  your- 
self, but  go  into  the  yard,  and  take  some  oil  out  of 
one  of  the  jars." 

Morgiana  thanked  Abdalla  for  his  advice,  took 
the  oil-pot,  and  went  into  the  yard;  when,  as  she 
came  nigh  the  first  jar,  the  robber  within  said  softly, 
"Is  it  time?" 

Though  naturally  much  surprised  at  finding  a 


77ft'  History  of  Alt  Baba  129 

man  in  the  jar  instead  of  the  oil  she  wanted,  she 
immediately  felt  the  importance  of  keeping  silence, 
as  Ali  Baba,  his  family,  and  herself  were  in  great 
danger;  and  collecting  herself,  without  showing  the 
least  emotion,  she  answered,  "  Not  yet,  but  pres- 
ently." She  went  quietly  in  this  manner  to  all  the 
jars,  giving  the  same  answer,  till  she  came  to  the  jar 
of  oil. 

By  this  means  Morgiana  found  that  her  master 
Ali  Baba  had  admitted  thirty-eight  robbers  into  his 
house,  and  that  this  pretended  oil  merchant  was 
their  captain.  She  made  what  haste  she  could  to  fill 
her  oil-pot,  and  returned  into  her  kitchen,  where,  as 
soon  as  she  had  lighted  her  lamp,  she  took  a  great 
kettle,  went  again  to  the  oil-jar,  filled  the  kettle, 
set  it  on  a  large  wood  fire,  and  as  soon  as  it  boiled, 
went  and  poured  enough  into  every  jar  to  stifle  and 
destroy  the  robber  within. 

When  this  action,  worthy  of  the  courage  of  Mor- 
giana, was  executed  without  any  noise,  as  she  had 
projected,  she  returned  into  the  kitchen  with  the 
empty  kettle ;  and  having  put  out  the  great  fire  she 
had  made  to  boil  the  oil,  and  leaving  just  enough  to 
make  the  broth,  put  out  the  lamp  also,  and  remained 
silent,  resolving  not  to  go  to  rest  till  she  had  ob- 
served what  might  follow  through  a  window  of  the 
kitchen,  which  opened  into  the  yard. 

She  had  not  waited  long  before  the  captain  of  the 
robbers  got  up,  opened  the  window,  and  finding  no 
light,  and  hearing  no  noise,  or  any  one  stirring  in 
the  house,  gave  the  appointed  signal,  by  throwing 
little  stones,  several  of  which  hit  the  jars,  as  he 
doubted   not  bv   the   sound   they   gave.     He   ther. 


130    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

listened,  but  not  hearing  or  perceiving  anything 
whereby  he  could  judge  that  his  companions  stirred, 
he  began  to  grow  very  uneasy,  threw  stones  again  a 
second  and  also  a  third  time,  and  could  not  compre- 
hend the  reason  that  none  of  them  should  answer 
his  signal.  Much  alarmed,  he  went  softly  down  into 
the  yard,  and  going  to  the  first  jar,  while  asking  the 
robber,  whom  he  thought  alive,  if  he  was  in  readi- 
ness, smelt  the  hot  boiled  oil,  which  sent  forth  a 
steam  out  of  the  jar.  Hence  he  suspected  that  his 
plot  to  murder  Ali  Baba,  and  plunder  his  house,  was 
discovered.  Examining  all  the  jars,  one  after  an- 
other, he  found  that  all  his  gang  were  dead ;  and, 
enraged  to  despair  at  having  failed  in  his  design,  he 
forced  the  lock  of  a  door  that  led  from  the  yard  to 
the  garden,  and  climbing  over  the  walls  made  his 
escape. 

When  Morgiana  saw  him  depart,  she  went  to  bed, 
satisfied  and  pleased  to  have  succeeded  so  well  in 
saving  her  master  and  family. 

Ali  Baba  rose  before  day,  and,  followed  by  his 
slave,  went  to  the  baths,  entirely  ignorant  of  the 
important  event  which  had  happened  at  home. 

When  he  returned  from  the  baths,  he  was  very 
much  surprised  to  see  the  oil- jars,  and  that  the  mer- 
chant was  not  gone  with  the  mules.  He  asked  Mor- 
giana, who  opened  the  door,  the  reason  of  it.  "  My 
good  master,"  answered  she,  "  God  preserve  you 
and  all  your  family.  You  will  be  better  informed 
of  what  you  wish  to  know  when  you  have  seen  what 
I  have  to  show  you,  if  you  will  follow  me." 

As  soon  as  Morgiana  had  shut  the  door,  Ali  Baba 
followed  her,  when  she  requested  him  to  look  into 


The  History  of  AH  Baba  131 

the  first  jar,  and  see  if  there  was  any  oil.  AH  Baba 
did  so,  and  seeing  a  man,  started  back  in  alarm,  and 
cried  out.  "  Do  not  be  afraid,"  said  Morgiana, 
"  the  man  you  see  there  can  neither  do  you  nor  any- 
body else  any  harm.  He  is  dead."  "  Ah,  Mor- 
giana," said  AH  Baba,  "  what  is  it  you  show  me  ? 
Explain  yourself."  "  I  will,"  replied  Morgiana. 
"  Moderate  your  astonishment,  and  do  not  excite 
the  curiosity  of  your  neighbours ;  for  it  is  of  great 
importance  to  keep  this  affair  secret.  Look  into  all 
the  other  jars." 

AH  Baba  examined  all  the  other  jars,  one  after 
another;  and  when  he  came  to  that  which  had  the 
oil  in  it,  found  it  prodigiously  sunk,  and  stood  for 
some  time  motionless,  sometimes  looking  at  the 
jars,  and  sometimes  at  Morgiana,  without  saying  a 
word,  so  great  was  his  surprise.  At  last,  when  he 
had  recovered  himself,  he  said,  "  And  what  is  be- 
come of  the  merchant  ?  " 

"  Merchant !  "  answered  she ;  "  he  is  as  much  one 
as  I  am.  I  will  tell  you  who  he  is,  and  what  is 
become  of  him ;  but  you  had  better  hear  the  story  in 
your  own  chamber;  for  it  is  time  for  your  health 
that  you  had  your  broth  after  your  bathing." 

Morgiana  then  told  him  all  she  had  done,  from  the 
first  observing  the  mark  upon  the  house,  to  the  de- 
struction of  the  robbers,  and  the  flight  of  their  cap' 
tain. 

On  hearing  of  these  brave  deeds  from  the  lips  of 
Morgiana,  AH  Baba  said  to  her — "  God,  by  your 
means,  has  delivered  me  from  the  snares  these  rob- 
bers laid  for  my  destruction.  I  owe,  therefore,  my 
life  to  you ;  and,  for  the  first  token  of  my  acknowl- 


132    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

edgment,  give  you  your  liberty  from  this  moment, 
till  I  can  complete  your  recompense  as  I  intend." 

Ali  Baba's  garden  was  very  long,  and  shaded  at 
the  further  end  by  a  great  number  of  large  trees. 
Near  these  he  and  the  slave  Abdalla  dug  a  trench, 
long  and  wide  enough  to  hold  the  bodies  of  the  rob- 
bers ;  and  as  the  earth  was  light,  they  were  not  long 
in  doing  it.  When  this  was  done,  Ali  Baba  hid  the 
jars  and  weapons ;  and  as  he  had  no  occasion  for  the 
mules,  he  sent  them  at  different  times  to  be  sold  in 
the  market  by  his  slave. 

While  Ali  Baba  took  these  measures,  the  captain 
of  the  forty  robbers  returned  to  the  forest  with  in- 
conceivable mortification.  He  did  not  stay  long ;  the 
loneliness  of  the  gloomy  cavern  became  frightful  to 
him.  He  determined,  however,  to  avenge  the  fate 
of  his  companions,  and  to  accomplish  the  death  of 
Ali  Baba.  For  this  purpose  he  returned  to  the  town, 
and  took  a  lodging  in  a  khan,  and  disguised  himself 
as  a  merchant  in  silks.  Under  this  assumed  charac- 
ter, he  gradually  conveyed  a  great  many  sorts  of 
rich  stuffs  and  fine  linen  to  his  lodging  from  the 
cavern,  but  with  all  the  necessary  precautions  to 
conceal  the  place  whence  he  brought  them.  In  order 
to  dispose  of  the  merchandise,  when  he  had  thus 
amassed  them  together,  he  took  a  warehouse,  which 
happened  to  be  opposite  to  Cassim's,  which  Ali 
Baba's  son  had  occupied  since  the  death  of  his  uncle. 

He  took  the  name  of  Cogia  Houssain,  and,  as  a 
new-comer,  was,  according  to  custom,  extremely 
civil  and  complaisant  to  all  the  merchants  his  neigh- 
bours. Ali  Baba's  son  was,  from  his  vicinity,  one 
of  the  first  to  converse  with  Cogia  Houssain,  who 


The  History  of  Ali  Baba  133 

strove  to  cultivate  his  friendship  more  particularly. 
Two  or  three  days  after  he  was  settled,  AH  Baba 
came  to  see  his  son,  and  the  captain  of  the  robbers 
recognised  him  at  once,  and  soon  learned  from  his 
son  who  he  was.  After  this  he  increased  his  assidu- 
ities, caressed  him  in  the  most  engaging  manner, 
made  him  some  small  presents,  and  often  asked  him 
to  dine  and  sup  with  him,  when  he  treated  him  very 
handsomely. 

Ali  Baba's  son  did  not  choose  to  lie  under  such 
obligation  to  Cogia  Houssain ;  but  wase  so  much 
straitened  for  want  of  room  in  his  house,  that  he 
could  not  entertain  him.  He  therefore  acquainted 
his  father,  Ali  Baba,  with  his  wish  to  invite  him  in 
return. 

Ali  Baba  with  great  pleasure  took  the  treat  upon 
himself.  "  Son,"  said  he,  "  to-morrow  being  Friday, 
which  is  a  day  that  the  shops  of  such  great  mer- 
chants as  Cogia  Houssain  and  yourself  are  shut,  get 
him  to  accompany  you,  and  as  you  pass  by  my  door, 
call  in.  I  will  go  and  order  Morgiana  to  provide  a 
supper." 

The  next  day  Ali  Baba's  son  and  Cogia  Houssain 
met  by  appointment,  took  their  walk,  and  as  they  re- 
turnedjAli  Baba's  son  led  Cogia  Houssain  through 
the  street  where  his  father  lived,  and  when  they 
came  to  the  house,  stopped  and  knocked  at  the  door. 
"  This,  sir,"  said  he,  "  is  my  father's  house,  who, 
from  the  account  I  have  given  him  of  your  friend- 
ship, charged  me  to  procure  him  the  honour  of  your 
acquaintance;  and  I  desire  you  to  add  this  pleasure 
to  those  for  which  I  am  already  indebted  to  you." 

Though  it  was  the  sole  turn  of  Cogia  Houssain  to 


134    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

introdtice  himself  into  Ali  Baba's  house,  that  he 
might  kill  him,  without  hazarding  his  own  life  or 
making  any  noise,  yet  he  excused  himself,  and  of- 
fered to  take  his  leave;  but  a  slave  having  opened 
the  door,  Ali  Baba's  son  took  him  obligingly  by  the 
hand,  and,  in  a  manner,  forced  him  in. 

Ali  Baba  received  Cogia  Houssain  with  a  smiling 
countenance,  and  in  the  most  obliging  manner  he 
could  wish.  He  thanked  him  for  all  the  favours  he 
had  done  his  son ;  adding  withal,  the  obligation  was 
the  greater,  as  he  was  a  young  man,  not  much  ac- 
quainted with  the  world,  and  that  he  might  con- 
tribute to  his  information. 

Cogia  Houssain  returned  the  compliment  by  as- 
suring Ali  Baba  that  though  his  son  might  not  have 
acquired  the  experience  of  older  men,  he  had  good 
sense  equal  to  the  experience  of  many  others.  After 
a  little  more  conversation  on  different  subjects,  he 
offered  again  to  take  his  leave,  when  Ali  Baba,  stop- 
ping him,  said,  "  Where  are  you  going,  sir,  in  so 
much  haste?  I  beg  you  would  do  me  the  honour 
to  sup  with  me,  though  my  entertainment  may  not 
be  worthy  your  acceptance ;  such  as  it  is,  I  heartily 
offer  it."  "  Sir,"  replied  Cogia  Houssain,  "  I  am 
thoroughly  persuaded  of  your  good-will;  but  the 
truth  is,  I  can  eat  no  victuals  that  have  any  salt  in 
them ;  therefore  judge  how  I  should  feel  at  your  ta- 
ble." "  If  that  is  the  only  reason,"  said  Ali  Baba, 
"  it  ought  not  to  deprive  me  of  the  honour  of  your 
company ;  for,  in  the  first  place,  there  is  no  salt  ever 
put  into  my  bread,  and  as  to  the  meat  we  shall  have 
to-night,  I  promise  you  there  shall  be  none  in  that 


The  History  of  Ali  Baba  135 

Therefore  you  must  do  me  the  favour  to  stay.  I 
will  return  immediately." 

Ali  Baba  went  into  the  kitchen,  and  ordered  Mor- 
giana  to  put  no  salt  to  the  meat  that  was  to  be 
dressed  that  night ;  and  to  make  quickly  two  or  three 
ragouts  besides  what  he  had  ordered,  but  be  sure 
to  put  no  salt  in  them. 

Morgiana,  who  was  always  ready  to  obey  her  mas- 
ter, could  not  help  being  surprised  at  his  strange 
order.  "  Who  is  this  strange  man,"  said  she,  "  who 
eats  no  salt  with  his  meat?  Your  supper  will  be 
spoiled,  if  I  keep  it  back  so  long."  "  Do  not  be 
angry,  Morgiana,"  replied  Ali  Baba;  "he  is  an  hon- 
est man,  therefore  do  as  I  bid  you." 

Morgiana  obeyed,  though  with  no  little  reluctance, 
and  had  a  curiosity  to  see  this  man  who  ate  no  salt. 
To  this  end,  when  she  had  finished  what  she  had  to 
do  in  the  kitchen,  she  helped  Abdalla  to  carry  up 
the  dishes ;  and  looking  at  Cogia  Houssain,  knew 
him  at  first  sight,  notwithstanding  his  disguise,  to 
be  the  captain  of  the  robbers,  and  examining  him 
very  carefully,  perceived  that  he  had  a  dagger 
under  his  garment.  "  I  am  not  in  the  least  amazed," 
said  she  to  herself,  "  that  this  wicked  man,  who  is 
my  master's  greatest  enemy,  would  eat  no  salt  with 
him,  since  he  intends  to  assassinate  him;  but  I  will 
prevent  him." 

Morgiana,  while  they  were  at  supper,  determined 
in  her  own  mind  to  execute  one  of  the  boldest  acts 
ever  meditated.  When  Abdalla  came  for  the  dessert 
of  fruit,  and  had  put  it  with  the  wine  and  glasses 
before  Ali  Baba,  Morgiana  retired,  dressed  herself 
neatly,  with  a  suitable  head-dress  like  a  dancer, 


136    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

girded  her  waist  with  a  silver-gilt  girdle,  to  which 
there  hung  a  poniard  with  a  hilt  and  guard  of  the 
same  metal,  and  put  a  handsome  mask  on  her  face. 
When  she  had  thus  disguised  herself,  she  said  to 
Abdalla,  "  Take  your  tabour,  and  let  us  go  and 
divert  our  master  and  his  son's  friend,  as  we  do 
sometimes  when  he  is  alone." 

Abdalla  took  his  tabour  and  played  all  the  way 
into  the  hall  before  Morgiana,  who,  when  she  came 
to  the  door,  made  a  low  obeisance  by  way  of  asking 
leave  to  exhibit  her  skill,  while  Abdalla  left  off  play- 
ing. "  Come  in,  Morgiana,"  said  AH  Baba,  "  and  let 
Cogia  Houssain  see  what  you  can  do,  that  he  may  tell 
us  what  he  thinks  of  your  performance." 

Cogia  Houssain,  who  did  not  expect  this  diversion 
after  supper,  began  to  fear  he  should  not  be  able  to 
take  advantage  of  the  opportunity  he  thought  he 
had  found ;  but  hoped,  if  he  now  missed  his  aim,  to 
secure  it  another  time,  by  keeping  up  a  friendly  cor- 
respondence with  the  father  and  son ;  therefore, 
though  he  could  have  wished  AH  Baba  would  have 
declined  the  dance,  he  pretended  to  be  obliged  to 
him  for  it,  and  had  the  complaisance  to  express  his 
satisfaction  at  what  he  said,  which  pleased  his  host. 

As  soon  as  Abdalla  saw  that  AH  Baba  and  Cogia 
Houssain  had  done  talking,  he  began  to  play  on  the 
tabour,  and  accompanied  it  with  an  air,  to  which 
Morgiana,  who  was  an  excellent  performer,  danced 
in  such  a  manner  as  would  have  created  admiration 
in  any  company. 

After  she  had  danced  several  dances  with  much 
grace,  she  drew  the  poniard,  and  holding  it  in  her 
hand,  began  a  dance,  in  which  she  outdid  herself 


The  History  of  Ali  Baba  137 

by  the  many  different  figures,  light  movements,  and 
the  surprising  leaps  and  wonderful  exertions  with 
which  she  accompanied  it.  Sometimes  she  presented 
the  poniard  to  one  breast,  sometimes  to  another,  and 
oftentimes  seemed  to  strike  her  own.  At  last,  she 
snatched  the  tabour  from  Abdalla  with  her  left 
hand,  and  holding  the  dagger  in  her  right  presented 
the  other  side  of  the  tabour,  after  the  manner  of 
those  who  get  a  livelihood  by  dancing,  and  solicit  the 
liberality  of  the  spectators. 

Ali  Baba  put  a  piece  of  gold  into  the  tabour,  as 
did  also  his  son ;  and  Cogia  Houssain  seeing  that  she 
was  coming  to  him,  had  pulled  his  purse  out  of  his 
bosom  to  make  her  a  present;  but  while  he  was 
putting  his  hand  into  it,  Morgiana,  with  a  courage 
and  resolution  worthy  of  herself,  plunged  the 
poniard  into  his  heart. 

Ali  Baba  and  his  son,  shocked  at  this  action,  cried 
out  aloud.  "  Unhappy  woman !  "  exclaimed  Ali 
Baba,  "  what  have  you  done  to  ruin  me  and  my 
family  ?  "  "  It  was  to  preserve,  not  to  ruin  you," 
answered  Morgiana ;  "  for  see  here,"  continued  she, 
opening  the  pretended  Cogia  Houssain's  garment, 
and  showing  the  dagger,  "  what  an  enemy  you  had 
entertained?  Look  well  at  him,  and  you  will  find 
him  to  be  both  the  fictitious  oil  merchant,  and  the 
captain  of  the  gang  of  forty  robbers.  Remember, 
too,  that  he  would  eat  no  salt  with  you ;  and  what 
would  you  have  more  to  persuade  you  of  his  wicked 
design  ?  Before  I  saw  him,  I  suspected  him  as  soon 
as  you  told  me  you  had  such  a  guest.  I  knew 
him,  and  you  now  find  that  my  suspicion  was  not 
groundless." 


138    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Ali  Baba,  who  immediately  felt  the  new  obliga- 
tion he  had  to  Morgiana  for  saving  his  life  a  second 
time,  embraced  her :  "  Morgiana,"  said  he,  "  I  gave 
you  your  liberty,  and  then  promised  you  that  my 
gratitude  should  not  stop  there,  but  that  I  would  soon 
give  you  higher  proofs  of  its  sincerity,  which  I  now 
do  by  making  you  my  daughter-in-law."  Then  ad- 
dressing himself  to  his  son,  he  said,  "  I  believe  you, 
son,  to  be  so  dutiful  a  child,  that  you  will  not  refuse 
Morgiana  for  your  wife.  You  see  that  Cogia  Hous- 
sain  sought  your  friendship  with  a  treacherous  de- 
sign to  take  away  my  life ;  and  if  he  had  succeeded, 
there  is  no  doubt  but  he  would  have  sacrificed  you 
also  to  his  revenge.  Consider,  that  by  marrying 
Morgiana  you  marry  the  preserver  of  my  family  and 
your  own." 

The  son,  far  from  showing  any  dislike,  readily 
consented  to  the  marriage ;  not  only  because  he 
would  not  disobey  his  father,  but  also  because  it  was 
agreeable  to  his  inclination.  After  this  they  thought 
of  burying  the  captain  of  the  robbers  with  his  com- 
rades, and  did  it  so  privately  that  nobody  discovered 
their  bones  till  many  years  after,  when  no  one  had 
any  concern  in  the  publication  of  this  remarkable 
history.  A  few  days  afterward,  Ali  Baba  celebrated 
the  nuptials  of  his  son  and  Morgiana  with  great 
solemnity,  a  sumptuous  feast,  and  the  usual  dancing 
and  spectacles;  and  had  the  satisfaction  to  see  that 
his  friends  and  neighbours,  whom  he  invited,  had 
no  knowledge  of  the  true  motives  of  the  marriage; 
but  that  those  who  were  not  unacquainted  with  Mor- 
giana's  good  qualities  commended  his  generosity  and 
goodness  of  heart.    Ali  Baba  did  not  visit  the  rob- 


The  History  of  Alt  Baba  139 

bers'  cave  for  a  whole  year,  as  he  supposed  the  other 
two,  whom  he  could  get  no  account  of,  might  be 
alive. 

At  the  year's  end,  when  he  found  they  had  not 
made  any  attempt  to  disturb  him,  he  had  the  curiosity 
to  make  another  journey.  He  mounted  his  horse, 
and  when  he  came  to  the  cave  he  alighted,  tied  his 
horse  to  a  tree,  then  approaching  the  entrance,  and 
pronouncing  the  words,  "  Open,  Sesame !  "  the  door 
opened.  He  entered  the  cavern,  and  by  the  condi- 
tion he  found  things  in,  judged  that  nobody  had  been 
there  since  the  captain  had  fetched  the  goods  for  his 
shop.  From  this  time  he  believed  he  was  the  only 
person  in  the  world  who  had  the  secret  of  opening 
the  cave,  and  that  all  the  treasure  was  at  his  sole  dis- 
posal. He  put  as  much  gold  into  his  saddle-bag  as 
his  horse  would  carry,  and  returned  to  town.  Some 
years  later  he  carried  his  son  to  the  cave  and  taught 
him  the  secret,  which  he  handed  down  to  his  poster- 
ity, who,  using  their  good  fortune  with  moderation, 
lived  in  great  honour  and  splendour. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE   SECOND   VOYAGE   OF   SINDBAD    THE   SAILOR 

I  designed,  after  my  first,  voyage,  to  spend  the  rest 
of  my  days  at  Bagdad,  but  it  was  not  long  ere  I  grew 
weary  of  an  indolent  life,  and  I  put  to  sea  a  second 
time,  with  merchants  of  known  probity.  We  em- 
barked on  board  a  good  ship,  and,  after  recommend- 
ing ourselves  to  God,  set  sail.  We  traded  from  isl- 
and to  island,  and  exchanged  commodities  with  great 
profit.  One  day  we  landed  on  an  island  covered  with 
several  sorts  of  fruit  trees,  but  we  could  see  neither 
man  nor  animal.  We  walked  in  the  meadows,  along 
the  streams  that  watered  them.  While  some  diverted 
themselves  with  gathering  flowers,  and  others  fruits, 
I  took  my  wine  and  provisions,  and  sat  down  near 
a  stream  betwixt  two  high  trees,  which  formed  a 
thick  shade.  I  made  a  good  meal,  and  afterward  fell 
asleep.  I  cannot  tell  how  long  I  slept,  but  when 
I  awoke  the  ship  was  gone. 

In  this  sad  condition,  I  was  ready  to  die  with 
grief.  I  cried  out  in  agony,  beat  my  head  and  breast, 
and  threw  myself  upon  the  ground,  where  I  lay 
some  time  in  despair.  I  upbraided  myself  a  hun- 
dred times  for  not  being  content  with  the  produce 
of  my  first  voyage,  that  might  have  sufficed  me  all 
my  life.    But  all  this  was  in  vain,  and  my  repentance 


Second  Voyage  of  Sindbad  the  Sailor      141 

came  too  late.  At  last  I  resigned  myself  to  the  will 
of  God.  Not  knowing  what  to  do,  I  climbed  up  to 
the  top  of  a  lofty  tree,  from  whence  I  looked  about 
on  all  sides,  to  see  if  I  could  discover  anything  that 
could  give  me  hopes.  When  I  gazed  toward  the  sea 
I  could  see  nothing  but  sky  and  water ;  but  looking 
over  the  land,  I  beheld  something  white ;  and  com- 
ing down,  I  took  what  provision  I  had  left  and  went 
toward  it,  the  distance  being  so  great,  that  I  could 
not  distinguish  what  it  was. 

As  I  approached,  I  thought  it  to  be  a  white  dome, 
of  a  prodigious  height  and  extent ;  and  when  I  came 
up  to  it,  I  touched  it,  and  found  it  to  be  very  smooth. 
I  went  round  to  see  if  it  was  open  on  any  side,  but 
saw  it  was  not,  and  that  there  was  no  climbing  up 
to  the  top,  as  it  was  so  smooth.  It  was  at  least  fifty 
paces  round. 

By  this  time  the  sun  was  about  to  set,  and  all  of  a 
sudden  the  sky  became  as  dark  as  if  it  had  been 
covered  with  a  thick  cloud.  I  was  much  astonished 
at  this  sudden  darkness,  but  much  more  when  I 
found  it  occasioned  by  a  bird  of  a  monstrous  size, 
that  came  flying  toward  me.  I  remembered  that  I 
had  often  heard  mariners  speak  of  a  miraculous  bird 
called  the  Roc,  and  conceived  that  the  great  dome 
which  I  so  much  admired  must  be  its  egg.  In  short, 
the  bird  alighted,  and  sat  over  the  egg.  As  I  per- 
ceived her  coming,  I  crept  close  to  the  egg,  so  that 
I  had  before  me  one  of  the  legs  of  the  bird,  which 
was  as  big  as  the  trunk  of  a  tree.  I  tied  myself 
strongly  to  it  with  my  turban,  in  hopes  that  the  roc 
next  morning  would  carry  me  with  her  out  of  this 
desert  island.    After  having  passed  the  night  in  this 


142     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

condition,  the  bird  flew  away  as  soon  as  it  was  day- 
light, and  carried  me  so  high,  that  I  could  not  dis- 
cern the  earth ;  she  afterward  descended  with  so 
much  rapidity  that  I  lost  my  senses.  But  when  I 
found  myself  on  the  ground,  I  speedily  untied  the 
knot,  and  had  scarcely  done  so,  when  the  roc,  having 
taken  up  a  serpent  of  a  monstrous  length  in  her  bill, 
flew  away. 

The  spot  where  it  left  me  was  encompassed  on  all 
sides  by  mountains,  that  seemed  to  reach  above  the 
clouds,  and  so  steep  that  there  was  no  possibility 
of  getting  out  of  the  valley.  This  was  a  new  per- 
plexity; so  that  when  I  compared  this  place  with 
the  desert  island  from  which  the  roc  had  brought 
me,  I  found  that  I  had  gained  nothing  by  the 
change. 

As  I  walked  through  this  valley,  I  perceived  it 
was  strewed  with  diamonds,  some  of  which  were 
of  surprising  bigness.  I  took  pleasure  in  looking 
upon  them;  but  shortly  saw  at  a  distance  such  ob- 
jects as  greatly  diminished  my  satisfaction,  and 
which  I  could  not  view  without  terror,  namely,  a 
great  number  of  serpents,  so  monstrous  that  the 
least  of  them  was  capable  of  swallowing  an  elephant. 
They  retired  in  the  day-time  to  their  dens,  where 
they  hid  themselves  from  the  roc,  their  enemy,  and 
came  out  only  in  the  night. 

I  spent  the  day  in  walking  about  in  the  valley, 
resting  myself  at  times  in  such  places  as  I  thought 
most  convenient.  When  night  came  on  I  went  into 
i  cave,  where  I  thought  I  might  repose  in  safety. 
I  secured  the  entrance,  which  was  low  and  narrow, 
with  a  great  stone,  to  preserve  me  from  the  ser- 


Second  Voyage  of  Sindbad  the  Sailor      143 

pents;  but  not  so  far  as  to  exclude  the  light.  I 
supped  on  part  of  my  provisions,  but  the  serpents, 
which  began  hissing  round  me,  put  me  into  such  ex- 
treme fear  that  I  did  not  sleep.  When  day  appeared 
the  serpents  retired,  and  I  came  out  of  the  cave 
trembling.  I  can  justly  say  that  I  walked  upon  dia- 
monds without  feeling  any  inclination  to  touch  them. 
At  last  I  sat  down,  and  notwithstanding  my  appre- 
hensions, not  having  closed  my  eyes  during  the 
night,  fell  asleep,  after  having  eaten  a  little  more  of 
my  provisions.  But  I  had  scarcely  shut  my  eyes 
when  something  that  fell  by  me  with  a  great  noise 
awaked  me.  This  was  a  large  piece  of  raw  meat; 
and  at  the  same  time  I  saw  several  others  fall  down 
from  the  rocks  in  different  places. 

I  had  always  regarded  as  fabulous  what  I  had 
heard  sailors  and  others  relate  of  the  valley  of  dia- 
monds, and  of  the  stratagems  employed  by  mer- 
chants to  obtain  jewels  from  thence ;  but  now  I 
found  that  they  had  stated  nothing  but  the  truth. 
For  the  fact  is,  that  the  merchants  come  to  the 
neighbourhood  of  this  valley,  when  the  eagles  have 
young  ones,  and  throwing  great  joints  of  meat  into 
the  valley,  the  diamonds,  upon  whose  points  they 
fall,  stick  to  them ;  the  eagles,  which  are  stronger  in 
this  country  than  anywhere  else,  pounce  with  great 
force  upon  those  pieces  of  meat,  and  carry  them  to 
their  nests  on  the  precipices  of  the  rocks  to  feed  their 
young :  the  merchants  at  this  time  run  to  their  nests, 
disturb  and  drive  off  the  eagles  by  their  shouts,  and 
take  away  the  diamonds  that  stick  to  the  meat. 

I  perceived  in  this  device  the  means  of  my  deliv- 
erance. 


144    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Having  collected  together  the  largest  diamonds 
I  could  find,  I  put  them  into  the  leather  bag  in  which 
I  used  to  carry  my  provisions,  I  took  the  largest  of 
the  pieces  of  meat,  tied  it  close  round  me  with  the 
cloth  of  my  turban,  and  then  laid  myself  upon  the 
ground,  with  my  face  downward,  the  bag  of  dia- 
monds being  made  fast  to  my  girdle. 

I  had  scarcely  placed  myself  in  this  posture  when 
one  of  the  eagles,  having  taken  me  up  with  the 
piece  of  meat  to  which  I  was  fastened,  carried  me 
to  his  nest  on  the  top  of  the  mountain.  The  mer- 
chants immediately  began  their  shouting  to  frighten 
the  eagles ;  and  when  they  had  obliged  them  to  quit 
their  prey,  one  of  them  came  to  the  nest  where  I 
was.  He  was  much  alarmed  when  he  saw  me;  but 
recovering  himself,  instead  of  inquiring  how  I  came 
thither,  began  to  quarrel  with  me,  and  asked  why 
I  stole  his  goods  ?  "  You  will  treat  me,"  replied  I, 
"  with  more  civility,  when  you  know  me  better.  Do 
not  be  uneasy ;  I  have  diamonds  enough  for  you  and 
myself,  more  than  all  the  other  merchants  together. 
Whatever  they  have  they  owe  to  chance;  but  I  se- 
lected for  myself,  in  the  bottom  of  the  valley,  those 
which  you  see  in  this  bag."  I  had  scarcely  done 
speaking,  when  the  other  merchants  came  crowding 
about  us,  much  astonished  to  see  me ;  but  they  were 
much  more  surprised  when  I  told  them  my  story. 

They  conducted  me  to  their  encampment;  and 
there  having  opened  my  bag,  they  were  surprised  at 
the  largeness  of  my  diamonds,  and  confessed  that 
they  had  never  seen  any  of  such  size  and  perfection. 
I  prayed  the  merchant  who  owned  the  nest  to  which 
I  had  been  carried   (for  every  merchant  had  his 


Second  Voyage  of  Sindbad  the  Sailor      145 

own)  to  take  as  many  for  his  share  as  he  pleased. 
He  contented  himself  with  one,  and  that,  too,  the 
least  of  them ;  and  when  I  pressed  him  to  take  more, 
without  fear  of  doing  me  any  injury,  "  No,"  said  he, 
"  I  am  very  well  satisfied  with  this,  which  is  valuable 
enough  to  save  me  the  trouble  of  making  any  more 
voyages,  and  will  raise  as  great  a  fortune  as  I  de- 
sire." 

I  spent  the  night  with  the  merchants,  to  whom  I 
related  my  story  a  second  time,  for  the  satisfaction 
of  those  who  had  not  heard  it.  I  could  not  moderate 
my  joy  when  I  found  myself  delivered  from  the 
danger  I  have  mentioned.  I  thought  myself  in  a 
dream,  and  could  scarcely  believe  myself  out  of  dan- 
ger. 

The  merchants  had  thrown  their  pieces  of  meat 
into  the  valley  for  several  days ;  and  each  of  them  be- 
ing satisfied  with  the  diamonds  that  had  fallen  to  his 
lot,  we  left  the  place  the  next  morning,  and  travelled 
near  high  mountains,  where  there  were  serpents  of 
a  prodigious  length,  which  we  had  the  good  fortune 
to  escape.  We  took  shipping  at  the  first  port  we 
reached,  and  touched  at  the  isle  of  Roha,  where  the 
trees  grow  that  yield  camphire.  This  tree  is  so  large, 
and  its  branches  so  thick,  that  one  hundred  men  may 
easily  sit  under  its  shade.  The  juice,  of  which  the 
camphire  is  made,  exudes  from  a  hole  bored  in  the 
upper  part  of  the  tree,  and  is  received  in  a  vessel, 
where  it  thickens  to  a  consistency,  and  becomes  what 
we  call  camphire.  After  the  juice  is  thus  drawn  out, 
the  tree  withers  and  dies. 

In  this  island  is  also  found  the  rhinoceros,  an  ani- 
mal less  than  the  elephant,  but  larger  than  the  buf- 


146    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

falo.  It  has  a  horn  upon  its  nose,  about  a  cubit  in 
length ;  this  horn  is  solid,  and  cleft  through  the  mid- 
dle. The  rhinoceros  fights  with  the  elephant,  runs 
his  horn  into  his  belly,  and  carries  him  off  upon  his 
head ;  but  the  blood  and  the  fat  of  the  elephant  run- 
ning into  his  eyes  and  making  him  blind,  he  falls  to 
the  ground;  and  then,  strange  to  relate,  the  roc 
comes  and  carries  them  both  away  in  her  claws,  for 
food  for  her  young  ones. 

I  pass  over  many  other  things  peculiar  to  this 
island,  lest  I  should  weary  you.  Here  I  exchanged 
some  of  my  diamonds  for  merchandise.  From  hence 
we  went  to  other  islands,  and  at  last,  having  touched 
at  several  trading  towns  of  the  continent,  we  landed 
at  Bussorah,  from  whence  I  proceeded  to  Bagdad. 
There  I  immediately  gave  large  presents  to  the  poor, 
and  lived  honourably  upon  the  vast  riches  I  had 
brought,  and  gained  with  so  much  fatigue. 

Thus  Sindbad  ended  the  relation  of  the  second 
voyage,  gave  Hindbad  another  hundred  sequins,  and 
invited  him  to  come  the  next  day  to  hear  the  account 
of  the  third. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE   WHITE   CAT 

There  was  once  a  king  who  had  three  sons,  all 
remarkably  handsome  in  their  persons,  and  in  their 
tempers  brave  and  noble.  Some  wicked  courtiers 
made  the  king  believe  that  the  princes  were  impa- 
tient to  wear  the  crown,  and  that  they  were  contriv- 
ing a  plot  to  deprive  him  of  his  sceptre  and  his 
kingdom.  The  king  felt  he  was  growing  old ;  but 
as  he  found  himself  as  capable  of  governing  as  he 
had  ever  been,  he  had  no  inclination  to  resign  his 
power;  and  therefore,  that  he  might  pass  the  rest 
of  his  days  peaceably,  he  determined  to  employ  the 
princes  in  such  a  manner,  as  at  once  to  give  each  of 
them  the  hope  of  succeeding  to  the  crown,  and  fill 
up  the  time  they  might  otherwise  spend  in  so  un- 
dutiful  a  manner.  He  sent  for  them  to  his  cabinet, 
and  after  conversing  with  them  kindly,  he  added : 
"  You  must  be  sensible,  my  dear  children,  that  my 
great  age  prevents  me  from  attending  so  closely  as 
I  have  hitherto  done  to  state  affairs.  I  fear  this 
may  be  injurious  to  my  subjects;  I  therefore  desire 
to  place  my  crown  on  the  head  of  one  of  you,  but  it  is 
no  more  than  just,  that  in  return  for  such  a  present, 
you  should  procure  me  some  amusement  in  my  re- 
tirement, before  I  leave  the  Capital  for  ever.    I  can- 


148     Fairy  Talcs  Every  Child  Should  Know 

not  help  thinking,  that  a  little  dog,  that  is  handsome, 
faithful,  and  engaging,  would  be  the  very  thing  to 
make  me  happy ;  so  that  without  bestowing  a  prefer- 
ence on  either  of  you,  I  declare  that  he  who  brings 
me  the  most  perfect  little  dog  shall  be  my  successor. 
The  princes  were  much  surprised  at  the  fancy  of 
their  father  to  have  a  little  dog,  yet  they  accepted 
the  proposition  with  pleasure  :  and  accordingly,  after 
taking  leave  of  the  king,  who  presented  them  with 
abundance  of  money  and  jewels,  and  appointed  that 
day  twelvemonth  for  their  return,  they  set  off  on 
their  travels. 

Before  taking  leave  of  each  other,  however,  they 
took  some  refreshment  together,  in  an  old  palace 
about  three  miles  out  of  town  where  they  agreed  to 
meet  in  the  same  place  on  that  day  twelvemonth, 
and  go  all  together  with  their  presents  to  court. 
They  also  agreed  to  change  their  names,  that  they 
might  be  unknown  to  every  one  in  their  travels. 

Each  took  a  different  road;  but  it  is  intended  to 
relate  the  adventures  of  only  the  youngest,  who  was 
the  handsomest,  most  amiable,  and  accomplished 
prince  that  had  ever  been  seen.  No  day  passed,  as 
he  travelled  from  town  to  town,  that  he  did  not 
buy  all  the  handsome  dogs  that  fell  in  his  way ;  and 
as  soon  as  he  saw  one  that  was  handsomer  than  those 
he  had  before,  he  made  a  present  of  the  last;  for 
twenty  servants  would  have  been  scarcely  sufficient 
to  take  care  of  all  the  dogs  he  was  continually  buy- 
ing. 

At  length,  wandering  he  knew  not  whither,  he 
found  himself  in  a  forest ;  night  suddenly  came  on, 
and  with  it  a  violent  storm  of  thunder,  lightning, 


The  White  Cat  149 

and  rain.  To  add  to  his  perplexity,  he  lost  his  path, 
and  could  find  no  way  out  of  the  forest.  After  he 
had  groped  about  for  a  long-  time,  he  perceived  a 
light,  which  made  him  suppose  that  he  was  not  far 
from  some  house :  he  accordingly  pursued  his  way 
towards  it,  and  in  a  short  time  found  himself  at  the 
gates  of  the  most  magnificent  palace  he  ever  beheld. 
The  door  that  opened  into  it  was  made  of  gold,  cov- 
ered with  sapphire  stones,  which  cast  so  resplendent 
a  brightness  over  everything  around,  that  scarcely 
could  the  strongest  eyesight  bear  to  look  at  it.  This 
was  the  light  the  prince  had  seen  from  the  forest. 
The  walls  of  the  building  were  of  transparent  porce- 
lain, variously  coloured,  and  represented  the  history 
of  all  the  fairies  that  had  existed  from  the  begin- 
ning of  the  world.  The  prince  coming  back  to  the 
golden  door,  observed  a  deer's  foot  fastened  to  a 
chain  of  diamonds ;  he  could  not  help  wondering  at 
the  magnificence  he  beheld,  and  the  security  in  which 
the  inhabitants  seemed  to  live ;  "  for,"  said  he  to  him- 
self, "  nothing  can  be  easier  than  for  thieves  to  steal 
this  chain,  and  as  many  of  the  sapphire  stones  as 
would  make  their  fortunes."  He  pulled  the  chain, 
and  heard  a  bell  the  sound  of  which  was  exquisite. 
In  a  few  moments  the  door  was  opened ;  but  he  per- 
ceived nothing  but  twelve  hands  in  the  air,  each  hold- 
ing a  torch.  The  prince  was  so  astonished  that  he 
durst  not  move  a  step;  when  he  felt  himself  gently 
pushed  on  by  some  other  hands  from  behind  him. 
He  walked  on,  in  great  perplexity,  till  he  entered  a 
vestibule  inlaid  with  porphyry  and  lapis-stone. 
There  the  most  melodious  voice  he  had  ever  heard 
chanted  the  following:  words : 


150    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"  Welcome,  prince,  no  danger  fear, 
Mirth  and  love  attend  you  here ; 
You  shall  break  the  magic  spell, 
That  on  a  beauteous  lady  fell. 

"  Welcome,  prince,  no  danger  fear, 
Mirth  and  love  attend  you  here." 

The  prince  now  advanced  with  confidence,  won- 
dering what  these  words  could  mean;  the  hands 
moved  him  forward  towards  a  large  door  of  coral, 
which  opened  of  itself  to  give  him  admittance  into  a 
splendid  apartment  built  of  mother-of-pearl,  through 
which  he  passed  into  others  so  richly  adorned  with 
paintings  and  jewels,  and  so  resplendently  lighted 
with  thousands  of  lamps,  girandoles  and  lustres,  that 
the  prince  imagined  he  must  be  in  an  enchanted  pal- 
ace. When  he  had  passed  through  sixty  apartments, 
all  equally  splendid,  he  was  stopped  by  the  hands, 
and  a  large  easy-chair  advanced  of  itself  towards  the 
chimney;  and  the  hands,  which  he  observed  were 
extremely  white  and  delicate,  took  off  his  wet 
clothes,  and  supplied  their  place  with  the  finest  linen 
imaginable,  and  then  added  a  commodious  wrap- 
ping-gown, embroidered  with  the  brightest  gold,  and 
all  over  enriched  with  pearls.  The  hands  next 
brought  him  an  elegant  dressing-table,  and  combed 
his  hair  so  very  gently  that  he  scarcely  felt  their 
touch.  They  held  before  him  a  beautiful  basin,  filled 
with  perfumes,  for  him  to  wash  his  face  and  hands, 
and  afterwards  took  off  the  wrapping-gown  and 
dressed  him  in  a  suit  of  clothes  of  still  greater  splen- 
dour. When  his  dress  was  complete,  they  conducted 


The  White  Cat  151 

him  to  an  apartment  he  had  not  yet  seen,  and  which 
also  was  magnificently  furnished.  There  was  in  it  a 
table  spread  for  a  repast,  and  everything  upon  it  was 
of  the  purest  gold  adorned  with  jewels.  The  prince 
observed  there  were  two  covers  set,  and  was  won- 
dering who  was  to  be  his  companion,  when  his  at- 
tention was  suddenly  caught  by  a  small  figure  not 
a  foot  high,  which  just  then  entered  the  room,  and 
advanced  towards  him.  It  had  on  a  long  black  veil, 
and  was  supported  by  two  cats  dressed  in  mourning, 
and  with  swords  by  their  sides :  they  were  followed 
by  a  numerous  retinue  of  cats,  some  carrying  cages 
full  of  rats  and  others  mousetraps  full  of  mice. 

The  prince  was  at  a  loss  what  to  think.  The  little 
figure  now  approached,  and  throwing  aside  her  veil, 
he  beheld  a  most  beautiful  white  cat.  She  seemed 
young  and  melancholy,  and  addressing  herself  to  the 
prince,  she  said,  "  Young  prince,  you  are  welcome ; 
your  presence  affords  me  the  greatest  pleasure." 
"  Madam,"  replied  the  prince,  "  I  would  fain  thank 
you  for  your  generosity,  nor  can  I  help  observing 
that  you  must  be  an  extraordinary  creature  to  pos- 
sess with  your  present  form  the  gift  of  speech  and 
the  magnificent  palace  I  have  seen."  "  All  this  is 
very  true,"  answered  the  beautiful  cat,  "  but,  prince, 
I  am  not  fond  of  talking,  and  least  of  all  do  I  like 
compliments;  let  us  therefore  sit  down  to  supper." 
The  trunkless  hands  then  placed  the  dishes  on  the 
table,  and  the  prince  and  white  cat  seated  them- 
selves. The  first  dish  was  a  pie  made  of  young 
pigeons,  and  the  next  was  a  fricassee  of  the  fattest 
mice.  The  view  of  the  one  made  the  prince  almost 
afraid  to  taste  the  other,  till  the  white  cat,  who 


152     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

guessed  his  thoughts,  assured  him  that  there  were 
certain  dishes  at  table  in  which  there  was  not  a  mor- 
sel of  either  rat  or  mouse,  which  had  been  dressed  on 
purpose  for  him.  Accordingly  he  ate  heartily  of 
such  as  she  recommended.  When  supper  was  over, 
the  prince  perceived  that  the  white  cat  had  a  portrait 
set  in  gold  hanging  to  one  of  her  feet.  He  begged 
her  permission  to  look  at  it;  when,  to  his  astonish- 
ment, he  saw  the  portrait  of  a  handsome  young  man, 
that  exactly  resembled  himself!  He  thought  there 
was  something  very  extraordinary  in  all  this :  yet,  as 
the  white  cat  sighed  and  looked  very  sorrowful,  he 
did  not  venture  to  ask  any  questions.  He  con- 
versed with  her  on  different  subjects,  and  found  her 
extremely  well  versed  in  every  thing  that  was  pass- 
ing in  the  world.  When  night  was  far  advanced,  the 
white  cat  wished  him  a  good  night,  and  he  was  con- 
ducted by  the  hands  to  his  bedchamber,  which  was 
different  still  from  any  thing  he  had  seen  in  the  pal- 
ace, being  hung  with  the  wings  of  butterflies,  mixed 
with  the  most  curious  feathers.  His  bed  was  of 
gauze,  festooned  with  bunches  of  the  gayest  ribands, 
and  the  looking-glasses  reached  from  the  floor  to  the 
ceiling.  The  prince  was  undressed  and  put  into  bed 
by  the  hands,  without  speaking  a  word.  He  how- 
ever slept  little,  and  in  the  morning  was  awaked  by  a 
confused  noise.  The  hands  took  him  out  of  bed,  and 
put  on  him  a  handsome  hunting- jacket.  He  looked 
into  the  court-yard,  and  perceived  more  than  five 
hundred  cats,  busily  employed  in  preparing  for  the 
field,  for  this  was  a  day  of  festival.  Presently  the 
white  cat  came  to  his  apartment ;  and  having  politely 
inquired  after  his  health,  she  invited  him  to  partake 


The  White  Cat  153 

of  their  amusement.  The  prince  willingly  accepted, 
mounted  a  wooden  horse,  richly  caparisoned,  which 
had  been  prepared  for  him,  and  which  he  was  as- 
sured would  gallop  to  admiration.  The  beautiful 
white  cat  mounted  a  monkey,  dressed  in  a  dragoon's 
bonnet,  which  made  her  look  so  fierce  that  all  the 
rats  and  mice  ran  away  in  the  utmost  terror. 

Every  thing  being  ready,  the  horns  sounded,  and 
away  they  went ;  no  hunting  was  ever  more  agree- 
able; the  cats  ran  faster  than  the  hares  and  rab- 
bits ;  and  when  they  caught  any  they  were  hunted 
in  the  presence  of  the  white  cat,  and  a  thousand 
cunning  tricks  were  played.  Nor  were  the  birds  in 
safety ;  for  the  monkey  made  nothing  of  climbing  up 
the  trees,  with  the  white  cat  on  his  back,  to  the  nest 
of  the  young  eagles.  When  the  hunting  was  over, 
the  whole  retinue  returned  to  the  palace;  and  the 
white  cat  immediately  exchanged  her  dragoon's  cap 
for  the  veil,  and  sat  down  to  supper  with  the  prince, 
who,  being  very  hungry,  ate  heartily,  and  afterwards 
partook  with  her  of  the  most  delicious  liqueurs,  which 
being  often  repeated  made  him  forget  that  he  was  to 
procure  a  little  dog  for  the  old  king.  He  thought 
no  longer  of  any  thing  but  of  pleasing  the  sweet  lit- 
tle creature  who  received  him  so  courteously ;  ac- 
cordingly every  day  was  spent  in  new  amusements. 
The  prince  had  almost  forgotten  his  country  and  re- 
lations, and  sometimes  even  regretted  that  he  was 
not  a  cat,  so  great  was  his  affection  for  his  mewing 
companions.  "  Alas !  "  said  he  to  the  white  cat, 
"  how  will  it  afflict  me  to  leave  you  whom  I  love  so 
much !  Either  make  yourself  a  lady,  or  make  me  a 
cat."    She  smiled  at  the  prince's  wish,  but  made  him 


154    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Knozv 

scarcely  any  reply.  At  length  the  twelvemonth  was 
nearly  expired;  the  white  cat,  who  knew  the  very 
day  when  the  prince  was  to  reach  his  father's  palace, 
reminded  him  that  he  had  but  three  days  longer  to 
look  for  a  perfect  little  dog.  The  prince,  astonished 
at  his  own  forgetfulness,  began  to  afflict  himself ; 
when  the  cat  told  him  not  to  be  so  sorrowful,  since 
she  would  not  only  provide  him  with  a  little  dog, 
but  also  with  a  wooden  horse  which  should  convey 
him  safely  in  less  than  twelve  hours.  "  Look  here," 
said  she,  showing  him  an  acorn,  "  this  contains  what 
you  desire."  The  prince  put  the  acorn  to  his  ear,  and 
heard  the  barking  of  a  little  dog.  Transported  with 
joy,  he  thanked  the  cat  a  thousand  times,  and  the 
next  day,  bidding  her  tenderly  adieu,  he  set  out  on 
his  return. 

The  prince  arrived  first  at  the  place  of  rendezvous, 
and  was  soon  joined  by  his  brothers ;  they  mutually 
embraced,  and  began  to  give  an  account  of  their 
success ;  when  the  youngest  showed  them  only  a  little 
mongrel  cur,  telling  them  he  thought  it  could  not 
fail  to  please  the  king  from  its  extraordinary  beauty, 
the  brothers  trod  on  each  other's  toes  under  the  ta- 
ble; as  much  as  to  say,  we  have  not  much  to  fear 
from  this  sorry  looking  animal.  The  next  day 
they  went  together  to  the  palace.  The  dogs  of  the 
two  elder  princes  were  lying  on  cushions,  and  so 
curiously  wrapped  around  with  embroidered  quilts, 
that  one  would  scarcely  venture  to  touch  them.  The 
youngest  produced  his  cur,  dirty  all  over,  and  all 
wondered  how  the  prince  could  hope  to  receive  a 
crown  for  such  a  present.  The  king  examined  the 
two  little  dogs  of  the  elder  princes,  and  declared  he 


The  White  Cat  155 

thought  them  so  equally  beautiful  that  he  knew  not 
to  which,  with  justice,  he  could  give  the  preference. 
They  accordingly  began  to  dispute ;  when  the  young- 
est prince,  taking  his  acorn  from  his  pocket,  soon 
ended  their  contention;  for  a  little  dog  appeared 
which  could  with  ease  go  through  the  smallest  ring, 
and  was  besides  a  miracle  of  beauty.  The  king 
could  not  possibly  hesitate  in  declaring  his  satis- 
faction ;  yet,  as  he  was  not  more  inclined  than  the 
year  before  to  part  with  his  crown,  he  could  think 
of  nothing  more  to  his  purpose  than  telling  his 
sons  that  he  was  extremely  obliged  to  them  for  the 
pains  they  had  taken;  and  that  since  they  had  suc- 
ceeded so  well,  he  could  not  but  wish  they  would 
make  a  second  attempt;  he  therefore  begged  they 
would  take  another  year  for  procuring  him  a  piece 
of  cambric,  so  fine  as  to  be  drawn  through  the  eye  of 
a  small  needle. 

The  three  princes  thought  this  very  hard ;  yet  they 
set  out  in  obedience  to  the  king's  command.  The 
two  eldest  took  different  roads,  and  the  youngest  re- 
mounted his  wooden  horse,  and  in  a  short  time  ar- 
rived at  the  palace  of  his  beloved  white  cat,  who  re- 
ceived him  with  the  greatest  joy,  while  the  trunkless 
hands  helped  him  to  dismount,  and  provided  him 
with  immediate  refreshments ;  after  which  the  prince 
gave  the  white  cat  an  account  of  the  admiration 
which  had  been  bestowed  on  the  beautiful  little  dog, 
and  informed  her  of  his  father's  farther  injunction. 
"  Make  yourself  perfectly  easy,  dear  prince,"  said 
she,  "  I  have  in  my  palace  some  cats  that  are  per- 
fectly clever  in  making  such  cambric  as  the  king 
requires ;  so  you  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  give  me 


156    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

the  pleasure  of  your  company  while  it  is  making; 
and  I  will  procure  you  all  the  amusement  possible." 
She  accordingly  ordered  the  most  curious  fireworks 
to  be  played  off  in  sight  of  the  window  of  the  apart- 
ment in  which  they  were  sitting;  and  nothing  but 
festivity  and  rejoicing  was  heard  throughout  the 
palace  for  the  prince's  return.  As  the  white  cat 
continually  gave  proofs  of  an  excellent  understand- 
ing, the  prince  was  by  no  means  tired  of  her  com- 
pany ;  she  talked  with  him  of  state  affairs,  of  thea- 
tres, of  fashions;  in  short,  she  was  at  a  loss  on  no 
subject  whatever;  so  that  when  the  prince  was 
alone,  he  had  plenty  of  amusement  in  thinking  how 
it  could  possibly  be  that  a  small  white  cat  could 
be  endowed  with  all  the  powers  of  human  creatures. 
The  twelvemonth  in  this  manner  again  passed  in- 
sensibly away;  but  the  cat  took  care  to  remind  the 
prince  of  his  duty  in  proper  time.  "  For  once,  my 
prince,"  said  she,  "  I  will  have  the  pleasure  of  equip- 
ping you  as  suits  your  high  rank ;  "  when  looking 
into  the  courtyard,  he  saw  a  superb  car,  ornamented 
all  over  with  gold,  silver,  pearls  and  diamonds,  drawn 
by  twelve  horses  as  white  as  snow,  and  harnessed  in 
the  most  sumptuous  trappings ;  and  behind  the  car  a 
thousand  guards  richly  apparelled  were  in  waiting  to 
attend  on  the  prince's  person.  She  then  presented 
him  with  a  nut :  "  You  will  find  in  it,"  said  she,  "  the 
piece  of  cambric  I  promised  you.  Do  not  break  the 
shell  till  you  are  in  the  presence  of  the  king  your 
father."  Then,  to  prevent  the  acknowledgments 
which  the  prince  was  about  to  offer,  she  hastily  bade 
him  adieu.  Nothing  could  exceed  the  speed  with 
which  the  snow-white  horses  conveyed  this  fortunate 


The  White  Cat  157 

prince  to  his  father's  palace,  where  his  brothers  had 
just  arrived  before  him.  They  embraced  each  other, 
and  demanded  an  immediate  audience  of  the  king, 
who  received  them  with  the  greatest  kindness.  The 
princes  hastened  to  place  at  the  feet  of  his  majesty 
the  curious  present  he  had  required  them  to  procure. 
The  eldest  produced  a  piece  of  cambric  that  was  so 
extremely  fine,  that  his  friends  had  no  doubt  of  its 
passing  the  eye  of  the  needle,  which  was  now  deliv- 
ered to  the  king,  having  been  kept  locked  up  in  the 
custody  of  his  majesty's  treasurer  all  the  time. 
Every  one  supposed  he  would  certainly  obtain  the 
crown.  But  when  the  king  tried  to  draw  it  thfbugh 
the  eye  of  the  needle,  it  would  not  pass,  though  it 
failed  but  very  little.  Then  came  the  second  prince, 
who  made  as  sure  of  obtaining  the  crown  as  his 
brother  had  done  ;  but,  alas !  with  no  better  success  : 
for  though  his  piece  of  cambric  was  exquisitely  fine, 
yet  it  could  not  be  drawn  through  the  eye  of  the 
needle.  It  was  now  the  youngest  prince's  turn,  who 
accordingly  advanced,  and  opening  an  elegant  little 
box  inlaid  with  jewels,  he  took  out  a  walnut,  and 
cracked  the  shell,  imagining  he  should  immediately 
perceive  his  piece  of  cambric;  but  what  was  his  as- 
tonishment to  see  nothing  but  a  filbert !  He  did  not 
however  lose  his  hopes ;  he  cracked  the  filbert,  and  it 
presented  him  with  a  cherry-stone.  The  lords  of  the 
court,  who  had  assembled  to  witness  this  extraordi- 
nary trial,  could  not,  any  more  than  the  princes  his 
brothers,  refrain  from  laughing,  to  think  he  should 
be  so  silly  as  to  claim  with  them  the  crown  on  no  bet- 
ter pretensions.  The  prince  however  cracked  the 
cherry-stone,  which  was  filled   with  a  kernel :  be 


158    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

divided  it,  and  found  in  the  middle  a  grain  of  wheat, 
and  in  that  grain  a  millet  seed.  He  was  now  abso- 
lutely confounded,  and  could  not  help  muttering  be- 
tween his  teeth :  "  O  white  cat,  white  cat,  thou  hast 
deceived  me !  "  At  this  instant  he  felt  his  hand 
scratched  by  the  claw  of  a  cat :  upon  which  he  again 
took  courage,  and  opening  the  grain  of  millet  seed, 
to  the  astonishment  of  all  present,  he  drew  forth  a 
piece  of  cambric  four  hundred  yards  long,  and  fine 
enough  to  be  drawn  with  perfect  ease  through  the 
eye  of  the  needle.  When  the  king  found  he  had  no 
pretext  left  for  refusing  the  crown  to  his  youngest 
son,  he  sighed  deeply,  and  it  was  easy  to  be  seen  that 
he  was  sorry  for  the  prince's  success.  "  My  sons," 
said  he,  "  it  is  so  gratifying  to  the  heart  of  a  father 
to  receive  proofs  of  his  children's  love  and  obedi- 
ence, that  I  cannot  refuse  myself  the  satisfaction  of 
requiring  of  you  one  thing  more.  You  must  under- 
take another  expedition ;  and  whichever,  by  the  end 
of  a  year,  brings  me  the  most  beautiful  lady,  shall 
marry  her,  and  obtain  my  crown." 

So  they  again  took  leave  of  the  king  and  of  each 
other,  and  set  out  without  delay,  and  in  less  than 
twelve  hours  our  young  prince  arrived  in  his  splen- 
did car  at  the  palace  of  his  dear  white  cat.  Every 
thing  went  on  as  before,  till  the  end  of  another  year. 
At  length  only  one  day  remained  of  the  year,  when 
the  white  cat  thus  addressed  him :  "  To-morrow,  my 
prince,  you  must  present  yourself  at  the  palace  of 
your  father,  and  give  him  a  proof  of  your  obedience. 
It  depends  only  on  yourself  to  conduct  thither  the 
most  beautiful  princess  ever  yet  beheld,  for  the  time 
is  come  when  the  enchantment  by  which  I  am  bound 


The  White  Cat  159 

may  be  ended.  You  must  cut  off  my  head  and  tail," 
continued  she,  "  and  throw  them  into  the  fire." 
"  I J "  said  the  prince  hastily,  "  I  cut  off  your  head 
and  tail !  You  surely  mean  to  try  my  affection, 
which,  believe  me,  beautiful  cat,  is  truly  yours." 
"  You  mistake  me,  generous  prince,"  said  she,  "  I 
do  not  doubt  your  regard ;  but  if  you  wish  to  see  me 
in  any  other  form  than  that  of  a  cat,  you  must  con- 
sent to  do  as  I  desire.  Then  you  will  have  done  me  a 
service  I  shall  never  be  able  sufficiently  to  repay." 
The  prince's  eyes  filled  with  tears  as  she  spoke,  yet 
he  considered  himself  obliged  to  undertake  the 
dreadful  task,  and  the  cat  continuing  to  press  him 
with  greater  eagerness,  with  a  trembling  hand  he 
■drew  his  sword,  cut  off  her  head  and  tail,  and  threw 
them  into  the  fire.  No  sooner  was  this  done,  than 
the  most  beautiful  lady  his  eyes  had  ever  seen  stood 
before  him :  and  before  he  had  sufficiently  recovered 
from  his  surprise  to  speak  to  her,  a  long  train  of  at- 
tendants, who,  at  the  same  moment  as  their  mistress, 
were  changed  to  their  natural  shapes,  came  to  offer 
their  congratulations  to  the  queen,  and  inquire  her 
commands.  She  received  them  with  the  greatest  kind- 
ness ;  and  ordering  them  to  withdraw,  she  thus  ad- 
dressed the  astonished  prince.  "  Do  not  imagine, 
dear  prince,  that  1  have  always  been  a  cat,  or  that  I 
am  of  obscure  birth.  My  father  was  the  monarch  of 
six  kingdoms ;  he  tenderly  loved  my  mother,  leaving 
her  always  at  liberty  to  follow  her  own  inclinations. 
Her  prevailing  passion  was  to  travel ;  and  a  short 
time  before  my  birth,  having  heard  of  some  fairies 
who  were  in  possession  of  the  largest  gardens  filled 
with  the  most  delicious  fruits,  she  had  so  strong  a 


160    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

desire  to  eat  some  of  them,  that  she  set  out  for  the 
country  in  which  they  lived.  She  arrived  at  their 
abode  which  she  found  to  be  a  magnificent  palace, 
on  all  sides  glittering  with  gold  and  precious  stones. 
She  knocked  a  long  time  at  the  gates;  but  no  one 
came,  nor  could  she  perceive  the  least  sign  that  it  had 
any  inhabitant.  The  difficulty,  however,  did  but  in- 
crease the  violence  of  my  mother's  longing;  for  she 
saw  the  tops  of  the  trees  above  the  garden  walls 
loaded  with  the  most  luscious  fruits.  The  queen, 
in  despair,  ordered  her  attendants  to  place  tents 
close  to  the  door  of  the  palace ;  but  having  waited  six 
weeks,  without  seeing  any  one  pass  the  gates,  she 
fell  sick  of  vexation,  and  her  life  was  despaired  of. 
"  One  night,  as  she  lay  half  asleep,  she  turned  her- 
self about,  and  opening  her  eyes,  perceived  a  little 
old  woman,  very  ugly  and  deformed,  seated  in  thf 
easy  chair  by  her  bedside.  '  I,  and  my  sister  fairies,' 
said  she,  'take  it  very  ill  that  your  majesty  should  so 
obstinately  persist  in  getting  some  of  our  fruit ;  but 
since  so  precious  a  life  is  at  stake,  we  consent  to  give 
you  as  much  as  you  can  carry  away,  provided  you 
will  give  us  in  return  what  we  shall  ask.'  '  Ah !  kind 
fairy,'  cried  the  queen,  '  I  will  give  you  anything  I 
possess,  even  my  very  kingdoms,  on  condition  that  I 
eat  of  your  fruit.'  The  old  fairy  then  informed  the 
queen  that  what  they  required  was,  that  she  would 
give  them  the  child  she  was  going  to  have,  as  soon 
as  she  should  be  born;  adding,  that  every  possible 
care  should  be  taken  of  her,  and  that  she  should  be- 
come the  most  accomplished  princess.  The  queen 
replied,  that  however  cruel  the  condition,  she  must 
accept  it,  since  nothing  but  the  fruit  could  save  her 


The  White  Cat  161 

life.  In  short,  dear  prince,"  continued  the  lady,  "  my 
mother  instantly  got  out  of  bed,  was  dressed  by  her 
attendants,  entered  the  palace,  and  satisfied  her  long- 
ing. When  the  queen  had  eaten  her  fill,  she  ordered 
four  thousand  mules  to  be  procured,  and  loaded  with 
the  fruit,  which  had  the  virtue  of  continuing  all  the 
year  round  in  a  state  of  perfection.  Thus  provided, 
she  returned  to  the  king,  my  father,  who  with  the 
whole  court,  received  her  with  rejoicings,  as  it  was 
before  imagined  she  would  die  of  disappointment. 
All  this  time  the  queen  said  nothing  to  my  father  of 
the  promise  she  had  made,  to  give  her  daughter  to  the 
fairies ;  so  that,  when  the  time  was  come  that  she 
expected  my  birth,  she  grew  very  melancholy ;  till  at 
length,  being  pressed  by  the  king,  she  declared  to  him 
the  truth.  Nothing  could  exceed  his  affliction,  when 
he  heard  that  his  only  child,  when  born,  was  to  be 
given  to  the  fairies.  He  bore  it,  however,  as  well  as 
he  could,  for  fear  of  adding  to  my  mother's  grief; 
and  also  believing  he  should  find  some  means  of 
keeping  me  in  a  place  of  safety,  which  the  fairies 
would  not  be  able  to  approach.  As  soon  therefore  as 
I  was  born,  he  had  me  conveyed  to  a  tower  in  the 
palace,  to  which  there  were  twenty  flights  of  stairs, 
and  a  door  to  each,  of  which  my  father  kept  the  key, 
so  that  none  came  near  me  without  his  consent. 
When  the  fairies  heard  of  what  had  been  done,  they 
sent  first  to  demand  me ;  and  on  my  father's  refusal, 
they  let  loose  a  monstrous  dragon,  who  devoured 
men,  women  and  children,  and  the  breath  of  whose 
nostrils  destroyed  every  thing  it  came  near,  so  that 
the  trees  and  plants  began  to  die  in  great  abundance. 
The  grief  of  the  king,  at  seeing  this,  could  scarcely 


1 62    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

be  equalled;  and  finding  that  his  whole  kingdom 
would  in  a  short  time  be  reduced  to  famine,  he  con- 
sented to  give  me  into  their  hands.  I  was  accord- 
ingly laid  in  a  cradle  of  mother-of-pearl,  ornamented 
with  gold  and  jewels,  and  carried  to  their  palace, 
when  the  dragon  immediately  disappeared.  The 
fairies  placed  me  in  a  tower  of  their  palace,  ele- 
gantly furnished,  but  to  which  there  was  no  door,  so 
that  whoever  approached  was  obliged  to  come  by  the 
windows,  which  were  a  great  height  from  the 
ground :  from  these  I  had  the  liberty  of  getting  out 
into  a  delightful  garden,  in  which  were  baths,  and 
every  sort  of  cooling  fruit.  In  this  place  was  I  edu- 
cated by  the  fairies,  who  behaved  to  me  with  the 
greatest  kindness;  my  clothes  were  splendid,  and  I 
was  instructed  in  every  kind  of  accomplishment.  In 
short,  prince,  if  I  had  never  seen  any  one  but  them- 
selves, I  should  have  remained  very  happy.  One  of 
the  windows  of  my  tower  overlooked  a  long  avenue 
shaded  with  trees,  so  that  I  had  never  seen  in  it  a 
human  creature.  One  day,  however,  as  I  was  talk- 
ing at  this  window  with  my  parrot,  I  perceived  a 
young  gentleman  who  was  listening  to  our  conversa- 
tion. As  I  had  never  seen  a  man,  but  in  pictures,  I 
was  not  sorry  for  the  opportunity  of  gratifying  my 
curiosity.  I  thought  him  a  very  pleasing  object,  and 
he  at  length  bowed  in  the  most  respectful  manner, 
without  daring  to  speak,  for  he  knew  that  I  was  in 
the  palace  of  the  fairies.  When  it  began  to  grow 
dark  he  went  away,  and  I  vainly  endeavoured  to  see 
which  road  he  took.  The  next  morning,  as  soon  as  it 
was  light,  I  again  placed  myself  at  the  window, 
and  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  that  the  gentlema» 


The  White  Cat  163 

had  returned  to  the  same  place.  He  now  spoke  to 
me  through  a  speaking-trumpet,  and  informed  me  he 
thought  me  a  most  charming  lady,  and  that  he 
should  be  very  unhappy  if  he  did  not  pass  his  life  in 
my  company. 

I  resolved  to  find  some  means  of  escaping  from 
my  tower  with  the  engaging  prince  I  had  seen.  I 
was  not  long  in  devising  a  means  for  the  execution 
of  my  project.  I  begged  the  fairies  to  bring  me  a 
netting-needle,  a  mesh  and  some  cord,  saying  I 
wished  to  make  some  nets  to  amuse  myself  with 
catching  birds  at  my  window.  This  they  readily 
complied  with,  and  in  a  short  time  I  completed  a  lad- 
der long  enough  to  reach  the  ground.  I  now  sent  my 
parrot  to  the  prince,  to  beg  he  would  come  to  his 
usual  place,  as  I  wished  to  speak  with  him.  He  did 
not  fail,  and  finding  the  ladder,  mounted  it,  and 
quickly  entered  my  tower.  This  at  first  alarmed  me ; 
but  the  charms  of  his  conversation  had  restored  me 
to  tranquillity,  when  all  at  once  the  window  opened, 
and  the  fairy  Violent,  mounted  on  the  dragon's  back, 
rushed  into  the  tower.  My  beloved  prince  thought 
of  nothing  but  how  to  defend  me  from  their  fury; 
for  I  had  had  time  to  relate  to  him  my  story,  previ- 
ous to  this  cruel  interruption ;  but  their  numbers 
overpowered  him,  and  the  fairy  Violent  had  the  bar- 
barity to  command  the  dragon  to  devour  my  prince 
before  my  eyes.  In  my  despair,  I  would  have  thrown 
myself  also  into  the  mouth  of  the  horrible  monster, 
but  this  they  took  care  to  prevent,  saying  my  life 
should  be  preserved  for  greater  punishment.  The 
fairy  then  touched  me  with  her  wand,  and  I  instantly 
became  a  white  cat.    She  next  conducted  me  to  this 


164    Fairy  Talcs  Every  Child  Should  Know 

palace,  which  belonged  to  my  father,  and  gave  me  a 
train  of  cats  for  my  attendants,  together  with  the 
twelve  hands  which  waited  on  your  highness.  She 
then  informed  me  of  my  birth,  and  the  death  of  myv 
parents,  and  pronounced  upon  me  what  she  imag- 
ined the  greatest  of  maledictions :  That  I  should  not 
be  restored  to  my  natural  figure  till  a  young  prince, 
the  perfect  resemblance  of  him  I  had  lost,  should  cut 
off  my  head  and  tail.  You  are  that  perfect  resem- 
blance ;  and,  accordingly,  you  have  ended  the  en- 
chantment. I  need  not  add,  that  I  already  love  you 
more  than  my  life.  Let  us  therefore  hasten  to  the 
palace  of  the  king  your  father,  and  obtain  his  appro- 
bation to  our  marriage." 

The  prince  and  princess  accordingly  set  out  side 
by  side,  in  a  car  of  still  greater  splendour  than  be- 
fore, and  reached  the  palace  just  as  the  two  brothers 
had  arrived  with  two  beautiful  princesses.  The 
king,  hearing  that  each  of  his  sons  had  succeeded  in 
finding  what  he  had  required,  again  began  to  think 
of  some  new  expedient  to  delay  the  time  of  his 
resigning  his  crown ;  but  when  the  whole  court  were 
with  the  king  assembled  to  pass  judgment,  the 
princess  who  accompanied  the  youngest,  perceiving 
his  thoughts  by  his  countenance,  stepped  majestically 
forward,  and  thus  addressed  him :  "  What  pity  that 
your  majesty,  who  is  so  capable  of  governing, 
should  think  of  resigning  the  crown !  I  am  fortu- 
nate enough  to  have  six  kingdoms  in  my  possession ; 
permit  me  to  bestow  one  on  each  of  the  eldest 
princes,  and  to  enjoy  the  remaining  four  in  the  so- 
ciety of  the  youngest.  And  may  it  please  your  ma- 
jesty to  keep  your  own  kingdom,  and  make  no  de» 


The  White  Cat  165 

cision  concerning  the  beauty  of  three  princesses,  who, 
without  such  a  proof  of  your  majesty's  preference, 
will  no  doubt  live  happily  together !  "  The  air  re- 
sounded with  the  applauses  of  the  assembly.  The 
young  prince  and  princess  embraced  the  king,  and 
next  their  brothers  and  sisters;  the  three  weddings 
immediately  took  place ;  and  the  kingdoms  were  di- 
vided as  the  princess  had  proposed. 


CHAPTER  IX 


THE   GOLDEN    GOOSE 


There  was  a  man  who  had  three  sons,  the  young- 
est of  whom  was  considered  very  silly,  and  every- 
body used  to  mock  him  and  make  fun  of  him.  The 
eldest  son  wanted  to  go  and  cut  wood  in  the  forest, 
and  before  he  left  home  his  mother  prepared  beauti- 
ful pancakes  and  a  bottle  of  wine  for  him  to  take 
with  him,  so  that  he  might  not  suffer  from  hunger 
or  thirst. 

As  he  entered  the  forest  he  met  a  gray  old  man, 
who  bade  him  "  Good-morning,"  and  said :  "  Give 
me  a  little  piece  of  cake  out  of  your  basket  and  a 
drop  of  wine  out  of  your  bottle,  for  I  am  very 
hungry  and  thirsty." 

But  the  clever  son  replied :  "  What,  give  you  my 
cake  and  my  wine !  Why,  if  I  did,  I  should  have 
none  for  myself.  Not  I,  indeed,  so  take  yourself 
off !  "  and  he  left  the  man  standing  and  went  on. 

The  young  man  began  cutting  down  a  tree,  but  it 
was  not  long  before  he  made  a  false  stroke :  the  axe 
slipped  and  cut  his  arm  so  badly  that  he  was  obliged 
to  go  home  and  have  it  bound  up.  Now,  this  false 
stroke  was  caused  by  the  little  gray  old  man. 

Next  day  the  second  son  went  into  the  forest  to 
cut  wood,  and  his  mother  gave  him  a  cake  and  a 


The  Golden  Goose  167 

bottle  of  wine.  As  he  entered  the  wood  the  same 
little  old  man  met  him,  and  begged  for  a  piece  of 
cake  and  a  drop  of  wine.  But  the  second  son 
answered  rudely :  "  What  I  might  give  to  you  I  shall 
want  myself,  so  be  off." 

Then  he  left  the  little  old  man  standing  in  the 
road,  and  walked  on.  His  punishment  soon  came ; 
he  had  scarcely  given  two  strokes  on  a  tree  with  his 
axe,  when  he  hit  his  leg  such  a  terrible  blow  that 
he  was  obliged  to  limp  home  in  great  pain. 

Then  the  stupid  son  said  to  his  father,  "  Let  me 
go  for  once  and  cut  wood  in  the  forest." 

But  his  father  said :  "  No,  your  brothers  have 
been  hurt  already,  and  it  would  be  worse  for  you, 
who  don't  understand  wood-cutting." 

The  boy,  however,  begged  so  hard  to  be  allowed 
to  go  that  his  father  said :  "  There,  get  along  with 
you;  you  will  buy  your  experience  very  dearly,  I 
expect." 

His  mother,  however,  gave  him  a  cake  which  had 
been  made  with  water  and  baked  in  the  ashes,  and  a 
bottle  of  sour  beer. 

When  he  reached  the  wood  the  very  same  little 
old  man  met  him,  and  after  greeting  him  kindly, 
said :  "  Give  me  a  little  of  your  cake  and  a  drop 
from  your  bottle,  for  I  am  very  hungry  and  thirsty." 

"  Oh,"  replied  the  simple  youth,  "  I  have  only  a 
cake,  which  has  been  baked  in  the  ashes,  and  some 
sour  beer;  but  you  are  welcome  to  a  share  of  it. 
Let  us  sit  down,  and  eat  and  drink  together." 

So  they  seated  themselves,  and,  lo  and  behold, 
when  the  youth  opened  his  basket,  the  cake  had  been 
turned  into  a  beautiful  cake,  and  the  sour  beer  into 


i68     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

wine.  After  they  had  eaten  and  drank  enough,  the 
little  old  man  said :  "  Because  you  have  been  kind- 
hearted,  and  shared  your  dinner  with  me,  I  will 
make  you  in  future  lucky  in  all  you  undertake. 
There  stands  an  old  tree ;  cut  it  down,  and  you  will 
find  something  good  at  the  root." 

Then  the  old  man  said  "  Farewell,"  and  left  him. 

The  youth  set  to  work,  and  very  soon  succeeded 
in  felling  the  tree,  when  he  found  sitting  at  the  roots 
a  goose,  whose  feathers  were  of  pure  gold.  He  took 
it  up,  and,  instead  of  going  home,  carried  it  with 
him  to  an  inn  at  a  little  distance,  where  he  intended 
to  pass  the  night. 

The  landlord  had  three  daughters,  who  looked  at 
the  goose  with  envious  eyes.  They  had  never  seen 
such  a  wonderful  bird,  and  longed  to  have  at  least 
one  of  its  feathers.  "  Ah,"  thought  the  eldest,  "  I 
shall  soon  have  an  opportunity  to  phickone  of  them ;" 
and  so  it  happened,  for  not  long  after  the  young  man 
left  the  room.  She  instantly  went  up  to  the  bird 
and  took  hold  of  its  wing,  but  as  she  did  so,  the 
finger  and  thumb  remained  and  stuck  fast.  In  a 
short  time  after  the  second  sister  came  in  with  the 
full  expectation  of  gaining  a  golden  feather,  but  as 
she  touched  her  sister  to  move  her  from  the  bird, 
her  hand  stuck  fast  to  her  sister's  dress,  and  neither 
of  them  could  free  herself.  At  last,  in  came  the 
third  sister  with  the  same  intention.  "  Keep  away, 
keep  away !  "  screamed  the  other  two ;  "  in  heaven's 
name  keep  away !  " 

But  she  could  not  imagine  why  she  should  keep 
away.  If  they  were  near  the  golden  bird,  why 
should  not  she  be  there  ?    So  she  made  a  spring  for- 


The  Golden  Goose  169 

ward  and  touched  her  second  sister,  and  immedi- 
ately she  also  was  made  a  prisoner,  and  in  this  posi- 
tion they  were  obliged  to  remain  by  the  goose  all 
night. 

In  the  morning  the  young  man  came  in,  took  the 
goose  on  his  arm,  and  went  away  without  troubling 
himself  about  the  three  girls,  who  were  following 
close  behind  him.  And  as  he  walked  quickly,  they 
were  obliged  to  run  one  behind  the  other,  left  or 
right  of  him,  just  as  he  was  inclined  to  go. 

In  the  middle  of  a  field  they  were  met  by  the  par- 
son of  the  parish,  who  looked  with  wonder  at  the 
procession  as  it  came  near  him.  "  Shame  on  you !  " 
he  cried  out.  "  What  are  you  about,  you  bold-faced 
hussies,  running  after  a  young  man  in  that  way 
through  the  fields  ?    Go  home,  all  of  you." 

He  placed  his  hand  on  the  youngest  to  pull  her 
back,  but  the  moment  he  touched  her  he  also  became 
fixed,  and  was  obliged  to  follow  and  run  like  the 
rest.  In  a  few  minutes  the  clerk  met  them,  and 
when  he  saw  the  parson  runing  after  the  girls,  he 
wondered  greatly,  and  cried  out,  "  Halloa,  master 
parson,  where  are  you  running  in  such  haste  ?  Have 
you  forgotten  that  there  is  a  christening  to-day  ?  " 
And  as  the  procession  did  not  stop,  he  ran  after  it, 
and  seized  the  parson's  gown. 

In  a  moment  he  found  that  his  hand  was  fixed, 
and  he  also  had  to  run  like  the  rest.  And  now  there 
were  five  trotting  along,  one  behind  the  other. 
Presently  two  peasants  came  by  with  their  sickles 
from  the  field.  The  parson  called  out  to  them,  and 
begged  them  to  come  and  release  him  and  the  clerk. 
Hardly  had  they  touched  the  clerk  when  they  also 


170    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

stuck  fast  as  the  others,  and  the  simpleton  with  his 
golden  goose  travelled  with  the  seven. 

After  awhile  they  came  to  a  city  in  which  reigned 
a  king  who  had  a  daughter  of  such  a  melancholy 
disposition  that  no  one  could  make  her  laugh ;  there- 
fore he  issued  a  decree  that  whoever  would  make 
the  princess  laugh  should  have  her  in  marriage. 

Now,  when  the  simple  youth  heard  this,  he  ran 
before  her,  and  the  whole  seven  trotted  after  him. 
The  sight  was  so  ridiculous  that  the  moment  the 
princess  saw  it  she  burst  into  a  violent  fit  of  laughter 
and  they  thought  she  would  never  leave  off. 

After  this,  the  youth  went  to  the  king,  and  de- 
manded his  daughter  in  marriage,  according  to  the 
king's  decree;  but  his  majesty  did  not  quite  like  to 
have  the  young  man  for  a  son-in-law,  so  he  said  that, 
before  he  could  consent  to  the  marriage,  the  youth 
must  bring  him  a  man  who  could  drink  all  the  wine 
in  the  king's  cellar. 

The  simpleton  went  into  the  forest,  for  he  thought, 
"  If  anyone  can  help  me,  it  is  the  little  gray  man." 
When  he  arrived  at  the  spot  where  he  had  cut  down 
the  tree,  there  stood  a  man  with  a  very  miserable 
face. 

The  youth  asked  him  why  he  looked  so  sorrowful. 

"  Oh,"  he  exclaimed,  "  I  suffer  such  dreadful 
thirst  that  nothing  seems  able  to  quench  it ;  and  cold 
water  I  cannot  endure.  I  have  emptied  a  cask  of 
wine  already,  but  it  was  just  like  a  drop  of  water  on 
a  hot  stone." 

"  I  can  help  you,"  cried  the  young  man :  "  come 
with  me,  and  you  shall  have  your  fill,  I  promise 
you." 


The  Golden  Goose  171 

Upon  this  he  led  the  man  into  the  king's  cellar, 
where  he  opened  the  casks  one  after  another,  and 
drank  and  drank  till  his  back  ached ;  and  before  the 
day  closed  he  had  quite  emptied  the  king's  cellar. 

Again  the  young  man  asked  for  his  bride,  but  the 
king  was  annoyed  at  the  thought  of  giving  his 
daughter  to  such  a  common  fellow,  and  to  get  rid 
of  him  he  made  another  condition.  He  said  that  no 
man  should  have  his  daughter  who  could  not  find 
someone  able  to  eat  up  a  whole  mountain  of  bread. 

Away  went  the  simpleton  to  the  forest  as  before, 
and  there  in  the  same  place  sat  a  man  binding  him- 
self round  tightly  with  a  belt,  and  making  the  most 
horrible  faces.  As  the  youth  approached,  he  cried, 
"  I  have  eaten  a  whole  ovenful  of  rolls,  but  it  has 
not  satisfied  me  a  bit;  I  am  as  hungry  as  ever,  and 
my  stomach  feels  so  empty  that  I  am  obliged  to 
bind  it  round  tightly,  or  I  should  die  of  hunger." 

The  simpleton  could  hardly  contain  himself  for 
joy  when  he  heard  this.  "  Get  up,"  he  exclaimed, 
"  and  come  with  me,  and  I  will  give  you  plenty  to 
eat,  I'll  warrant." 

So  he  led  him  to  the  king's  court,  where  his 
majesty  had  ordered  all  the  flour  in  the  kingdom  to 
be  made  into  bread,  and  piled  up  in  a  huge  mountain. 
The  hungry  man  placed  himself  before  the  bread, 
and  began  to  eat,  and  before  evening  the  whole  pile 
had  disappeared. 

Then  the  simpleton  went  a  third  time  to  the  king, 
and  asked  for  his  bride,  but  the  king  made  several 
excuses,  and  at  last  said  that  if  he  could  bring  him 
a  ship  that  would  travel  as  well  by  land  as  by  water, 


172     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

then  he  should,  without  any  further  conditions, 
marry  his  daughter. 

The  youth  went  at  once  straight  to  the  forest,  and 
saw  the  same  old  gray  man  to  whom  he  had  given 
his  cake.  "  Ah,"  he  said,  as  the  youth  approached, 
"  it  was  I  who  sent  the  men  to  eat  and  drink,  and  I 
will  also  give  you  a  ship  that  can  travel  by  land  or 
by  sea,  because  when  you  thought  I  was  poor  you 
were  kind-hearted,  and  gave  me  food  and  drink." 

The  youth  took  the  ship,  and  when  the  king  saw 
it  he  was  quite  surprised;  but  he  could  not  any 
longer  refuse  to  give  him  his  daughter  in  marriage. 
The  wedding  was  celebrated  with  great  pomp,  and 
after  the  king's  death  the  simple  woodcutter  inher- 
ited the  whole  kingdom,  and  lived  happily  with  his 
wife. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE   TWELVE   BROTHERS 

There  were  once  a  king  and  queen  who  had 
twelve  children — all  boys.  Now,  one  day  the  king 
told  his  wife  that  if  a  daughter  should  be  born,  all 
the  sons  must  die — that  their  sister  alone  might  in- 
herit his  kingdom  and  riches. 

So  the  king  had  twelve  coffins  made,  which  were 
filled  with  shavings,  and  in  each  was  the  little  pil- 
low for  the  dead.  He  had  them  locked  up  in  a 
private  room,  the  key  of  which  he  gave  to  the  queen, 
praying  her  not  to  speak  of  it  to  anyone.  But  the 
poor  mother  was  so  unhappy  that  she  wept  for  a 
whole  day,  and  looked  so  sad  that  her  youngest  son 
noticed  it. 

He  had  the  Bible  name  of  Benjamin,  and  was  al- 
ways with  his  mother. 

"  Dear  mother,"  he  said,  "  why  are  you  so  sorrow- 
ful?" 

"  My  child,  I  may  not  tell  you,"  she  replied ;  but 
the  boy  allowed  her  no  rest  till  she  unlocked  the 
door  of  the  private  room,  and  showed  him  the  twelve 
coffins  filled  with  shavings. 

"  Dearest  Benjamin,"  she  said,  "  these  coffins  are 
for  you  and  your  brothers ;  for  if  you  should  ever 
have  a  little  sister,  you  will  all  die,  and  be  buried  in 
them. 


174    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

She  wept  bitterly  as  she  told  him,  but  her  son 
comforted  her,  and  said,  "  Do  not  weep,  dear  mother. 
We  will  take  care  of  ourselves,  and  go  far  away." 

Then  she  took  courage,  and  said,  "  Yes,  go  away 
with  your  eleven  brothers,  and  remain  in  the  forest ; 
and  let  one  climb  a  tree,  from  whence  he  will  be 
able  to  see  the  tower  of  the  castle.  If  I  should  have 
a  son,  a  white  flag  shall  be  hoisted,  and  then  you 
may  return  home ;  but  if  you  see  a  red  flag,  you  will 
know  it  is  a  girl,  and  then  hasten  away  as  fast  as 
you  can,  and  may  Heaven  protect  you !  Every  night 
I  will  pray  for  you,  that  you  may  not  suffer  from  the 
cold  in  winter  or  the  heat  in  summer." 

Then  she  blessed  all  her  sons,  and  they  went  away 
into  the  forest,  while  each  in  turn  mounted  a  high 
tree  daily,  to  watch  for  the  flag  on  the  tower. 

Eleven  days  passed,  and  it  was  Benjamin's  turn 
to  watch.  He  saw  the  flag  hoisted,  and  it  was  red — 
the  signal  that  they  must  die.  The  brothers  were 
angry,  and  said,  "  Shall  we  suffer  death  on  account 
of  a  maiden  ?  When  we  find  one  we  will  kill  her,  to 
avenge  ourselves." 

They  went  still  farther  into  the  forest,  and  came 
upon  a  most  pleasant  little  cottage,  which  was  un- 
inhabited. "  We  will  make  this  our  home,"  they 
said;  "  and  Benjamin,  as  you  are  the  youngest  and 
weakest,  you  shall  stay  at  home  and  keep  house, 
while  we  go  out  and  procure  food." 

So  they  wandered  about  the  forest,  shooting 
hares,  wild  rabbits,  pigeons  and  other  birds,  which 
they  brought  to  Benjamin  to  prepare  for  food.  In 
this  cottage  they  lived  for  ten  years  happily  together, 
so  that  the  time  passed  quickly. 


The  Twelve  Brothers  175 

Their  little  sister  was  growing  a  great  girl.  She 
had  a  sweet  disposition,  and  was  very  beautiful  to 
look  upon.  She  wore  rich  clothes,  and  a  golden 
star  on  her  forehead. 

One  day,  when  she  was  about  ten  years  old,  she 
discovered  in  her  mother's  wardrobe  twelve  shirts. 
"  Mother,"  she  exclaimed,  "  whose  shirts  are  these? 
They  are  much  too  small  for  my  father." 

The  queen  sighed  as  she  replied,  "  Dear  child, 
these  shirts  belong  to  your  twelve  brothers." 

"  Twelve  brothers ! "  cried  the  little  maiden. 
"  Where  are  they  ?    I  have  not  even  heard  of  them." 

"  Heaven  knows  where  they  are,"  was  the  reply ; 
"  but  they  are  wandering  about  the  world  some- 
where." Then  the  queen  took  her  little  daughter  to 
the  private  room  in  the  castle,  and  showed  her  the 
twelve  coffins  which  had  been  prepared  for  her 
brothers,  and  related  to  her,  with  many  tears,  why 
they  had  left  home. 

"  Dear  mother,"  said  the  child,  "  do  not  weep.  I 
will  go  and  seek  my  brothers."  So  she  took  the 
twelve  shirts  with  her,  and  wandered  away  into  the 
forest. 

She  walked  for  a  whole  day,  and  in  the  evening 
came  to  a  cottage,  stepped  in,  and  found  a  young 
boy,  who  stared  with  astonishment  at  seeing  a 
beautiful  little  girl  dressed  in  rich  clothing  and 
wearing  a  golden  star  on  her  forehead. 

At  last  he  said,  "  Who  are  you,  and  what  do  you 
want?" 

"  I  am  a  king's  daughter,"  she  said,  "  and  I  seek 
my  twelve  brothers,  and  I  intend  to  search  for  them 
till  I  find  them ; "  and  she  showed  him  their  shirts. 


176    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Then  Benjamin  knew  that  she  was  his  sister,  and 
said,  "  I  am  your  youngest  brother,  Benjamin." 
Then  she  wept  for  joy.  They  kissed  each  other  with 
deep  affection,  and  were  for  a  time  very  happy. 

At  last  Benjamin  said,  "  Dear  sister,  we  have 
made  a  vow  that  the  first  young  maiden  we  meet 
should  die,  because  through  a  maiden  we  have  lost 
our  kingly  rights." 

"  I  would  willingly  die,"  she  said,  "  if  by  so  doing 
I  could  restore  my  brothers  to  their  rightful  posses- 
sions." 

"  No,  you  shall  not  die,"  he  replied.  "  Hide  your- 
self behind  this  tub  until  our  eleven  brothers  come 
liome ;  then  I  will  make  an  agreement  with  them." 

At  night  the  brothers  returned  from  hunting,  and 
the  supper  was  ready.  While  they  sat  at  table,  one 
of  them  said,  "  Well,  Benjamin,  have  you  any 
news  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  I  have,"  he  said,  "  although  it  seems 
strange  that  I,  who  stay  at  home,  should  know  more 
than  yoUj  who  have  been  out." 

"  Well,  tell  us  your  news,"  said  one.    So  he  said : 

"  I  will  tell  you  if  you  will  make  one  promise." 

"  Yes,  yes !  "  they  all  cried.    "  What  is  it?  " 

"  Well,  then,  promise  me  that  the  first  maiden  you 
meet  with  in  the  forest  shall  not  die." 

"  Yes,  yes !  "  said  they  all ;  "  she  shall  have  mercy ; 
but  tell  us." 

"  Then,"  said  the  youngest  brother,  "  our  sister  is 
here ; "  and,  rising,  he  lifted  the  tub,  and  the  king's 
daughter  came  forth  in  her  royal  robes  and  with  a 
golden  star  on  her  forehead,  and  looking  so  fair  and 
delicate  and  beautiful  that  the  brothers  were  full 


The  Twelve  Brothers  177 

of  joy,  and  kissed  and  embraced  her  with  the  fond- 
est affection. 

She  stayed  with  Benjamin,  and  helped  him  in 
keeping-  the  house  clean  and  cooking  the  game  which 
the  others  brought  home.  Everything  was  so  nicely 
managed  now  and  with  so  much  order,  the  curtains 
and  the  quilts  were  beautifully  white,  and  the  din- 
ners cooked  so  well  that  the  brothers  were  always 
contented,  and  lived  in  great  unity  with  their  little 
sister. 

There  was  a  pretty  garden  around  the  house  in 
which  they  lived,  and  one  day,  when  they  were  all 
at  home  dining  together,  and  enjoying  themselves, 
the  maiden  went  out  into  the  garden  to  gather  them 
some  flowers. 

She  had  tended  twelve  lilies  with  great  care,  and 
they  were  now  in  such  splendid  bloom  that  she 
determined  to  pluck  them  for  her  brothers,  to  please 
them. 

But  the  moment  she  gathered  the  lilies,  her  twelve 
brothers  were  changed  into  twelve  ravens,  and  flew 
away  over  the  trees  of  the  forest,  while  the  charm- 
ing house  and  garden  vanished  from  her  sight.  Now 
was  the  poor  little  maiden  left  all  alone  in  the  wild 
wood,  and  knew  not  what  to  do;  but  on  turning" 
round  she  saw  a  curious  old  woman  standing  near, 
who  said  to  her,  "  My  child,  what  hast  thou  done  ? 
Why  didst  thou  not  leave  those  white  flowers  to 
grow  on  their  stems?  They  were  thy  twelve 
brothers,  and  now  they  will  always  remain  ravens." 

"  Is  there  no  way  to  set  them  free  ?  "  asked  the 
maiden,  weeping. 

"  No  way  in  the  world,"  she  replied,  "  but  one,  and 


178     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

that  is  far  too  difficult  for  thee  to  perform;  yet  it 
would  break  the  spell  and  set  them  free.  Hast  thou 
firmness  enough  to  remain  dumb  seven  years,  and 
not  speak  to  anyone,  or  even  laugh  ?  for  if  ever  you 
utter  a  single  word,  or  fail  only  once  in  the  seven 
years,  all  you  have  done  before  will  be  vain,  and  at 
this  one  word  your  brothers  will  die." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  maiden,  "  I  can  do  this  to  set 
my  brothers  free." 

Then  the  maiden  climbed  into  a  tree,  and,  seating 
herself  in  the  branches,  began  to  knit. 

She  remained  here,  living  on  the  fruit  that  grew 
on  the  tree,  and  without  laughing  or  uttering  a 
word. 

As  she  sat  in  her  tree,  the  king,  who  was  hunting, 
had  a  favourite  hound,  who  very  soon  discovered 
her,  ran  to  the  tree  on  which  the  maiden  sat,  sprang 
op  to  it,  and  barked  at  her  violently. 

The  king  came  nearer,  and  saw  the  beautiful 
king's  daughter  with  the  golden  star  on  her  fore- 
head. He  was  so  struck  with  her  beauty  that  he 
begged  her  to  come  down,  and  asked  her  to  be  his 
bride.  She  did  not  speak  a  word,  but  merely  nodded 
her  head.  Then  the  king  himself  climbed  up  into 
the  tree,  and  bringing  her  down,  seated  her  on  his 
own  horse  and  galloped  away  with  her  to  his  home. 

The  marriage  was  soon  after  celebrated  with  great 
pomp,  but  the  bride  neither  spoke  nor  laughed. 

When  they  had  lived  happily  together  for  some 
years,  the  king's  mother,  a  wicked  woman,  began  to 
raise  evil  reports  about  the  queen,  and  said  to  the 
king,  "  It  is  some  beggar  girl  you  have  picked  up. 
Who  can  tell  what  wicked  tricks  she  practises.    She 


The  Twelve  Brothers  179 

can't  help  being  dumb,  but  why  does  she  never 
laugh?  unless  she  has  a  guilty  conscience."  The 
king  at  first  would  listen  to  none  of  these  suspicions, 
but  she  urged  him  so  long,  and  accused  the  queen 
of  such  wicked  conduct,  that  at  last  he  condemned 
her  to  be  burnt  to  death. 

Now  in  the  court-yard  a  great  fire  was  kindled, 
and  the  king  stood  weeping  at  a  window  overlooking 
the  court  of  the  palace,  for  he  still  loved  her  dearly. 
He  saw  her  brought  forth  and  tied  to  the  stake ;  the 
fire  kindled,  and  the  flames  with  their  forked  tongues 
were  creeping  towards  her,  when  at  the  last  moment 
the  seven  years  were  past,  and  suddenly  a  rustling 
noise  of  wings  was  heard  in  the  air;  twelve  black 
ravens  alighted  on  the  earth  and  instantly  assumed 
their  own  forms — they  were  the  brothers  of  the 
queen. 

They  tore  down  the  pile  and  extinguished  the  fire, 
set  their  sister  free,  and  embraced  her  tenderly.  The 
queen,  who  was  now  able  to  speak,  told  the  king 
why  she  had  been  dumb  and  had  never  laughed. 

The  delight  of  the  king  was  only  equalled  by  his 
anger  against  the  wicked  witch,  who  was  brought 
to  justice  and  ordered  to  be  thrown  into  a  vat  of  oil 
full  of  poisonous  snakes,  where  she  died  a  dreadful 
death. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  FAIR  ONE  WITH   THE  GOLDEN   LOCKS 

There  was  once  a  most  beautiful  and  amiable 
princess  who  was  called  "  The  Fair  One  with 
Locks  of  Gold,"  for  her  hair  shone  brighter  than 
gold,  and  flowed  in  curls  down  to  her  feet,  her  head 
was  always  encircled  by  a  wreath  of  beautiful  flow- 
ers, and  pearls  and  diamonds. 

A  handsome,  rich,  young  prince,  whose  territories 
joined  to  hers,  was  deeply  in  love  with  the  reports 
lie  heard  of  her,  and  sent  to  demand  her  in  mar- 
riage. The  ambassador  sent  with  proposals  was  most 
sumptuously  attired,  and  surrounded  by  lackeys  on 
beautiful  horses,  as  well  as  charged  with  every  kind 
of  compliment,  from  the  anxious  prince,  who  hoped 
he  would  bring  the  princess  back  with  him;  but 
whether  it  was  that  she  was  not  that  day  in  a  good 
humour,  or  that  she  did  not  like  the  speeches  made 
"by  the  ambassador,  I  don't  know,  but  she  returned 
thanks  to  his  master  for  the  honour  he  intended  her, 
and  said  she  had  no  inclination  to  marry.  When 
the  ambassador  arrived  at  the  king's  chief  city,  where 
he  was  expected  with  great  impatience,  the  people 
were  extremely  afflicted  to  see  him  return  without 
the  Fair  One  with  the  Locks  of  Gold ;  and  the  king 
wept  like  a  child.  There  was  a  youth  at  court  whose 


The  Fair  One  with  the  Golden  Locks       181 

beauty  outshone  the  sun,  the  gracefulness  of  whose 
person  was  not  to  be  equalled,  and  for  his  graceful- 
ness and  wit,  he  was  called  Avenant :  the  king  loved 
him,  and  indeed  every  body  except  the  envious. 
Avenant  being  one  day  in  company  with  some  per- 
sons, inconsiderately  said,  "  If  the  king  had  sent 
me  to  the  Fair  One  with  Locks  of  Gold,  I  dare  say 
I  could  have  prevailed  on  her  to  return  with  me." 
These  enviers  of  Avenant's  prosperity  immediately 
ran  open  mouthed  to  the  king,  saying,  "  Sir,  sir,, 
what  does  your  majesty  think  Avenant  says?  He 
boasts  that  if  you  had  sent  him  to  the  Fair  One 
with  the  Golden  Hair,  he  could  have  brought  her 
with  him;  which  shows  he  is  so  vain  as  to  think 
himself  handsomer  than  your  majesty,  and  that  her 
love  for  him  would  have  made  her  follow  him  wher- 
ever he  went."  This  put  the  king  into  a  violent 
rage.  "  What !  "  said  he,  "  does  this  youngster  make 
a  jest  at  my  misfortune,  and  pretend  to  set  himself 
above  me  ?  Go  and  put  him  immediately  in  my  great 
tower,  and  there  let  him  starve  to  death."  The 
king's  guards  went  and  seized  Avenant,  who 
thought  no  more  of  what  he  had  said,  dragged  him* 
to  prison,  and  used  him  in  the  most  cruel  manner. 

One  day  when  he  was  almost  quite  spent,  he  said 
to  himself,  fetching  a  deep  sigh,  "  Wherein  can  I 
have  offended  the  king?  He  has  not  a  more  faith- 
ful subject  than  myself;  nor  have  I  ever  done  any- 
thing to  displease  him."  The  king  happened  at  that 
time  to  pass  by  the  tower ;  and  stopped  to  hear  him, 
notwithstanding  the  persuasions  of  those  that  were 
with  him ;  "  Hold  your  peace,"  replied  the  king,, 
"  and  let  me  hear  him  out."    Which  having  done, 


1 82     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

and  being  greatly  moved  by  his  sufferings,  he 
opened  the  door  of  the  tower,  and  called  him  by  his 
name.  Upon  which  Avenant  came  forth  in  a  sad 
condition,  and,  throwing  himself  at  the  king's  feet, 
"  What  have  I  done,  sir,"  said  he,  "  that  your 
majesty  should  use  me  thus  severely  ?  "  "  Thou  hast 
ridiculed  me  and  my  ambassador,"  replied  the  king ; 
"  and  hast  said,  that  if  I  had  sent  thee  to  the  Fair 
One  with  Locks  of  Gold,  thou  couldst  have  brought 
her  with  thee."  "  It  is  true,  sir,"  replied  Avenant, 
"  for  I  would  have  so  thoroughly  convinced  her  of 
your  transcending  qualities,  that  it  should  not  have 
been  in  her  power  to  have  denied  me ;  and  this, 
surely,  I  said  in  the  name  of  your  majesty."  The 
king  found  in  reality  he  had  done  no  injury;  so, 
he  took  him  away  with  him,  repenting  heartily  of 
the  wrong  he  had  done  him.  After  having  given 
him  an  excellent  supper,  the  king  sent  for  him  into 
his  cabinet.  "  Avenant,"  said  he,  "  I  still  love  the 
Fair  One  with  Locks  of  Gold ;  I  have  a  mind  to  send 
thee  to  her,  to  try  whether  thou  canst  succeed." 
Avenant  replied,  he  was  ready  to  obey  his  majesty 
in  all  things,  and  would  depart  the  very  next  morn- 
ing. "  Hold,"  said  the  king,  "  I  will  provide  thee 
first  with  a  most  sumptuous  equipage."  "  There  is 
no  necessity  for  that,"  answered  Avenant ;  "  I  need 
only  a  good  horse  and  your  letters  of  credence." 
Upon  this  the  king  embraced  him;  being  overjoyed 
to  see  him  so  soon  ready. 

It  was  upon  a  Monday  morning  that  he  took  leave 
of  the  king  and  his  friends.  Being  on  his  journey 
by  break  of  day,  and  entering  into  a  spacious 
meadow,  a  fine  thought  came  into  his  head :  he 


The  Fair  One  with  the  Golden  Locks       183 

alighted  immediately,  and  seated  himself  by  the 
bank  of  a  little  stream  that  watered  one  side  of  the 
meadow,  and  wrote  the  sentiment  down  in  his 
pocket  book.  After  he  had  done  writing,  he  looked 
about  him  every"  way,  being  charmed  with  the  beau- 
ties of  the  place,  and  suddenly  perceived  a  large 
gilded  carp,  which  stirred  a  little,  and  that  was  all  it 
could  do,  for  having  attempted  to  catch  some  little 
flies,  it  had  leaped  so  far  out  of  the  water,  as  to 
throw  itself  upon  the  grass,  where  it  was  almost 
dead,  not  being  able  to  recover  its  natural  element. 
Avenant  took  pity  on  the  poor  creature,  and  though 
it  was  a  fish-day,  and  he  might  have  carried  it  away 
for  his  dinner,  he  took  it  up,  and  gently  put  it  again 
into  the  river,  where  the  carp,  feeling  the  refreshing 
coolness  of  the  water,  began  to  rejoice,  and  sunk  to 
the  bottom ;  but  soon  rising  up  again,  brisk  and  gay, 
to  the  side  of  the  river ;  "  Avenant,"  said  the  carp, 
"  I  thank  you  for  the  kindness  you  have  done  me ; 
had  it  not  been  for  you,  I  had  died ;  but  you  have 
saved  my  life,  and  I  will  reward  you."  After  this 
short  compliment,  the  carp  darted  itself  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  water,  leaving  Avenant  not  a  little  sur- 
prised at  its  wit  and  great  civility. 

Another  day,  as  he  was  pursuing  his  journey,  he 
saw  a  crow  in  great  distress :  being  pursued  by  a 
huge  eagle,  he  took  his  bow,  which  he  always  carried 
abroad  with  him,  and  aiming  at  the  eagle,  let  fly  an 
arrow,  which  pierced  him  through  the  body,  so  that 
he  fell  down  dead;  which  the  crow  seeing,  came  in 
an  ecstasy  of  joy,  and  perched  upon  a  tree.  "  Ave- 
nant," said  the  crow,  "  you  have  been  extremely  gen- 
erous to  succour  me,  who  am  but  a  poor  wretched 


1 84     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

crow;  but  I  am  not  ungrateful  and  will  do  you  as 
good  a  turn."  Avenant  admired  the  wit  of  the  crow, 
and  continuing  his  journey,  he  entered  into  a  wood 
so  early  one  morning,  that  he  could  scarcely  see  his 
way,  where  he  heard  an  owl  crying  out  like  an  owl 
in  despair.  So  looking  about  every  where,  he  at 
length  came  to  a  place  where  certain  fowlers  had 
spread  their  nets  in  the  night-time  to  catch  little 
birds.  "  What  pity  'tis,"  said  he,  "  men  are  only 
made  to  torment  one  another,  or  else  to  persecute 
poor  animals  who  never  do  them  any  harm !  "  So 
saying,  he  drew  his  knife,  cut  the  cords,  and  set  the 
owl  at  liberty;  who,  before  he  took  wing,  said, 
"  Avenant,  the  fowlers  are  coming,  I  should  have 
been  taken,  and  must  have  died,  without  your  assist- 
ance :  I  have  a  grateful  heart,  and  will  remember  it." 
These  were  the  three  most  remarkable  adventures 
that  befell  Avenant  in  his  journey ;  and  when  he  ar- 
rived at  the  end  of  it,  he  washed  himself,  combed 
and  powdered  his  hair,  and  put  on  a  suit  of  cloth  of 
gold :  which  having  done,  he  put  a  rich  embroidered 
scarf  about  his  neck,  with  a  small  basket,  wherein 
was  a  little  dog  which  he  was  very  fond  of.  And 
Avenant  was  so  amiable,  and  did  every  thing  with 
so  good  a  grace,  that  when  he  presented  himself  at 
the  gate  of  the  palace,  all  the  guards  paid  him  great 
respect,  and  every  one  strove  who  should  first  give 
notice  to  the  Fair  One  with  Locks  of  Gold,  that 
Avenant,  the  neighbouring  king's  ambassador,  de- 
manded audience.  The  princess  on  hearing  the 
name  of  Avenant,  said,  "  It  has  a  pleasing  sound, 
and  I  dare  say  he  is  agreeable  and  pleases  every 
body;  and  she  said  to  her  maids  of  honour,  "go 


The  Fair  One  with  the  Golden  Locks       185 

fetch  me  my  rich  embroidered  gown  of  blue  satin, 
dress  my  hair,  and  bring  my  wreaths  of  fresh  flow- 
ers :  let  me  have  my  high  shoes,  and  my  fan,  and  let 
my  audience  chamber  and  throne  be  clean,  and  richly 
adorned ;  for  I  would  have  him  every  where  with 
truth  say,  that  I  am  really  the  Fair  One  with  Locks 
of  Gold."  Thus  all  her  women  were  employed  to 
dress  her  as  a  queen  should  be.  At  length,  she  went 
to  her  great  gallery  of  looking-glasses,  to  see  if  any 
thing  was  wanting;  after  which  she  ascended  her 
throne  of  gold,  ivory,  and  ebony,  the  fragrant  smell 
of  which  was  superior  to  the  choicest  balm.  She 
also  commanded  her  maids  of  honour  to  take  their 
instruments,  and  play  to  their  own  singing  so  sweetly 
that  none  should  be  disgusted. 

Avenant  was  conducted  into  the  chamber  of  audi- 
ence, were  he  stood  so  transported  with  admiration, 
that,  as  he  afterwards  said,  he  had  scarcely  power  to 
open  his  lips.  At  length,  however,  he  took  courage, 
and  made  his  speech  wonderfully  well;  wherein  he 
prayed  the  princess  not  to  let  him  be  so  unfortunate 
as  to  return  without  her.  "  Gentle  Avenant,"  said 
she,  "  all  the  reasons  you  have  laid  before  me,  are 
very  good,  and  I  assure  you,  I  would  rather  favour 
you  than  any  other;  but  you  must  know,  about  a 
month  since,  I  went  to  take  the  air  by  the  side  of  a 
river,  with  my  maids  of  honour;  as  I  was  pulling 
off  my  glove,  I  pulled  a  ring  from  my  ringer,  which 
by  accident  fell  into  the  river.  This  ring  I  valued 
more  than  my  whole  kingdom;  whence  you  may 
judge  how  much  I  am  afflicted  by  the  loss  of  it.  And 
I  have  made  a  vow  never  to  hearken  to  any  proposals 
of  marriage,  unless  the  ambassador  who  makes  them, 


186     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

shall  also  bring  my  ring.  This  is  the  present  which 
you  have  to  make  me ;  otherwise  you  may  talk  your 
heart  out,  for  months  and  even  years  shall  never 
change  my  resolution."  When  he  returned  to  his 
lodgings,  he  went  to  bed  supperless ;  and  his  little 
dog,  who  was  called  Cabriole,  made  a  fasting  night 
of  it  too,  and  went  and  lay  down  by  his  master ;  who 
did  nothing  all  night  but  sigh  and  lament,  saying, 
"  How  can  I  find  a  ring  that  fell  into  a  great  river 
a  month  ago  ?  It  would  be  folly  to  attempt  it.  The 
princess  enjoined  me  this  task,  merely  because  she 
knew  it  was  impossible,"  he  continued,  greatly  af- 
flicted ;  which  Cabriole  observing,  said,  "  My  dear 
master,  pray  do  not  despair  of  your  good  fortune; 
for  you  are  too  good  to  be  unhappy.  Therefore, 
when  it  is  day,  let  us  go  to  the  river  side.  Avenant 
made  no  answer,  but  gave  his  dog  two  little  cuff's 
with  his  hand,  and  being  overwhelmed  with  grief, 
fell  asleep. 

But  when  Cabriole  perceived  it  was  broad  day, 
he  fell  a  barking  so  loud  that  he  waked  his  master. 
"  Rise,  sir,"  said  he,  "  put  on  your  clothes,  and  let 
us  go  and  try  our  fortune."  Avenant  took  his 
little  dog's  advice ;  got  up,  and  dressed  himself,  went 
down  into  the  garden,  and  out  of  the  garden  he 
walked  insensibly  to  the  river  side,  with  his  hat  over 
his  eyes,  and  his  arms  across,  thinking  of  nothing 
but  taking  his  leave ;  when  all  on  a  sudden  he  heard 
a  voice  call,  "  Avenant,  Avenant !  "  upon  which  he 
looked  around  him,  but  seeing  nothing,  he  concluded 
it  was  an  illusion,  and  was  proceeding  in  his  walk; 
but  he  presently  heard  himself  called  again.  "  Who 
calls  me  ?  "  said  he ;  Cabriole,  who  was  very  little, 


The  Fair  Om  with  the  Golden  Locks       187 

and  looked  closely  into  the  water,  cried  out,  "  Never 
believe  me,  if  it  is  not  a  gilded  carp."  Immediately 
the  carp  appeared,  and  with  an  audible  voice  said, 
"  Avenant,  you  saved  my  life  in  the  poplar  meadow, 
where  I  must  have  died  without  your  assistance ; 
and  now  I  am  come  to  requite  your  kindness.  Here, 
my  dear  Avenant,  here  is  the  ring-  which  the  Fair 
One  with  Locks  of  Gold  dropped  into  the  river." 
Upon  which  he  stooped  and  took  it  out  of  the  carp's 
mouth ;  to  whom  he  returned  a  thousand  thanks. 
And  now,  instead  of  returning  home,  he  went  di- 
rectly to  the  palace  with  little  Cabriole,  who  skipped 
about,  and  wagged  his  tail  for  joy,  that  he  had  per- 
suaded his  master  to  walk  by  the  side  of  the  river. 
The  princess  being  told  that  Avenant  desired  an 
audience :  "  Alas,"  said  she,  "  the  poor  youth  has 
come  to  take  his  leave  of  me!  He  has  considered 
what  I  enjoined  him  as  impossible,  and  is  returning 
to  his  master."  But  Avenant  being  admitted,  pre- 
sented her  the  ring,  saying,  "  Madam,  behold  I  have 
executed  your  command ;  and  now,  I  hope,  you  will 
receive  my  master  for  your  royal  consort."  When 
she  saw  her  ring,  and  that  it  was  noways  injured, 
she  was  so  amazed  that  she  could  hardly  believe  her 
eyes.  "  Surely,  courteous  Avenant,"  said  she,  "  you 
must  be  favoured  by  some  fairy;  for  naturally  this 
is  impossible.1'  "  Madam,"  said  he,  "  I  am  ac- 
quainted with  no  fairy;  but  I  was  willing  to  obey 
your  command."  "  Well,  then,  seeing  you  have  so 
good  a  will,"  continued  she,  "  you  must  do  me  an- 
other piece  of  service,  without  which  I  will  never 
marry.  There  is  a  certain  prince  who  lives  not  far 
from  hence,  whose  name  is  Galifron,  and  whom 


1 88     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

nothing  would  serve  but  that  he  must  needs  marry 
me.  He  declared  his  mind  to  me,  with  most  terrible 
menaces,  that  if  I  denied  him,  he  would  enter  my 
kingdom  with  fire  and  sword;  but  you  shall  judge 
whether  I  would  accept  his  proposal :  he  is  a  giant,  as 
high  as  a  steeple;  he  devours  men  as  an  ape  eats 
chestnuts ;  when  he  goes  into  the  country,  he  carries 
cannons  in  his  pocket,  to  use  instead  of  pistols ;  and 
when  he  speaks  aloud  he  deafens  the  ears  of  those 
that  stand  near  him.  I  answered  him,  that  I  did  not 
choose  to  marry,  and  desired  him  to  excuse  me. 
Nevertheless,  he  has  not  ceased  to  persecute  me,  and 
has  put  an  infinite  number  of  my  subjects  to  the 
sword:  therefore,  before  all  other  things  you  must 
fight  him,  and  bring  me  his  head." 

Avenant  was  somewhat  startled  by  this  proposal ; 
but,  having  considered  it  awhile,  "  Well,  madam," 
said  he,  "  I  will  fight  this  Galifron ;  I  believe  I  shall 
be  vanquished;  but  I  will  die  like  a  man  of  cour- 
age." The  princess  was"  astonished  at  his  intrepid- 
ity, and  said  a  thousand  things  to  dissuade  him  from 
it,  but  all  in  vain.  At  length  he  arrived  at  Gali- 
fron's  castle,  the  roads  all  the  way  being  strewed 
with  the  bones  and  carcasses  of  men  which  the  giant 
had  devoured,  or  cut  in  pieces.  It  was  not  long  be- 
fore Avenant  saw  the  monster  approach,  and  he  im- 
mediately challenged  him ;  but  there  was  no  occasion 
for  this,  for  he  lifted  his  iron  mace,  and  had  cer- 
tainly beat  out  the  gentle  Avenant's  brains  at  the 
first  blow,  had  not  a  crow  at  that  instant  perched 
upon  the  giant's  head,  and  with  his  bill  pecked  out 
both  his  eyes.  The  blood  trickled  down  his  face, 
whereat  he  grew  desperate,  and  laid  about  him  on 


The  Fair  One  with  the  Golden  Locks       189 

^/ery  side ;  but  Avenant  took  care  to  avoid  his  blows, 
and  gave  him  many  great  wounds  with  his  sword, 
which  he  pushed  up  to  the  very  hilt ;  so  that  the  giant 
fainted,  and  fell  down  with  loss  of  blood.  Avenant 
immediately  cut  off  his  head ;  and  while  he  was  in  an 
ecstasy  of  joy,  for  his  good  success,  the  crow  perched 
upon  a  tree,  and  said,  "  Avenant,  I  did  not  forget  the 
kindnesses  I  received  at  your  hands,  when  you  killed 
the  eagle  that  pursued  me ;  I  promised  to  make  you 
amends,  and  now  I  have  been  as  good  as  my  word." 
"  I  acknowledge  your  kindness,  Mr.  Crow,"  replied 
Avenant ;  "  I  am  still  your  debtor,  and  your  servant." 
So  saying,  he  mounted  his  courser,  and  rode  away 
with  the  giant's  horrid  head.  When  he  arrived  at 
the  city,  every  body  crowded  after  him,  crying  out, 
"  Long  live  the  valiant  Avenant,  who  has  slain  the 
cruel  monster !  "  so  that  the  princess,  who  heard  the 
noise,  and  trembling  for  fear  she  should  have  heard 
of  Avenant's  death,  durst  not  inquire  what  was  the 
matter.  But  presently  after,  she  saw  Avenant  enter 
with  the  giant's  head;  at  the  sight  of  which  she 
trembled,  though  there  was  nothing  to  fear. 
"  Madam,"  said  he,  "  behold  your  enemy  is  dead ; 
and  now,  I  hope,  you  will  no  longer  refuse  the  king 
my  master."  "  Alas !  "  replied  the  Fair  One  with 
Locks  of  Gold,  "  I  must  still  refuse  him,  unless  you 
can  find  means  to  bring  me  some  of  the  water  of  the 
gloomy  cave.  Not  far  from  hence,"  continued  she, 
"  there  is  a  very  deep  cave,  about  six  leagues  in  com- 
pass ;  the  entrance  into  which  is  guarded  by  two 
dragons.  The  dragons  dart  fire  from  their  mouths 
and  eyes;  and  when  you  have  got  into  this  cave, 
you  will  meet  with  a  very  deep  hole,  into  which  you 


190    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

must  go  down,  and  you  will  find  it  full  of  toads, 
adders  and  serpents.  At  the  bottom  of  this  hole 
there  is  a  kind  of  cellar,  through  which  runs  the 
fountain  of  beauty  and  health.  This  is  the  water 
I  must  have;  its  virtues  are  wonderful;  for  the 
fair,  by  washing  in  it,  preserve  their  beauty;  and 
the  deformed  it  renders  beautiful ;  if  they  are  young, 
it  preserves  them  always  youthful ;  and  if  old  it 
makes  them  young  again.  Now  judge  you,  Avenant, 
whether  I  will  ever  leave  my  kingdom  without  carry- 
ing some  of  this  water  along  with  me." .  "  Madam," 
said  he,  "  you  are  so  beautiful,  that  this  water  will 
be  of  no  use  to  you ;  but  I  am  an  unfortunate  am- 
bassador, whose  death  you  seek.  However,  I  will 
go  in  search  of  what  you  desire,  though  I  am  certain 
never  to  return." 

At  length  he  arrived  at  the  top  of  a  mountain, 
where  he  sat  down  to  rest  himself ;  giving  his  horse 
liberty  to  feed,  and  Cabriole  to  run  after  the  flies. 
He  knew  that  the  gloomy  cave  was  not  far  off,  and 
looked  about  to  see  whether  he  could  discover  it; 
and  at  length  he  perceived  a  horrid  rock  as  black 
as  ink,  whence  issued  a  thick  smoke;  and  immedi- 
ately after  he  spied  one  of  the  dragons  casting  forth 
fire  from  his  jaws  and  eyes ;  his  skin  all  over  yellow 
and  green,  with  prodigious  claws  and  a  long  tail 
rolled  up  in  an  hundred  folds.  Avenant,  with  a 
resolution  to  die  in  the  attempt,  drew  his  sword,  and 
with  the  phial  which  the  Fair  One  with  Locks  of 
Gold  had  given  him  to  fill  with  the  water  of  beauty, 
went  towards  the  cave,  saying  to  his  little  dog,  "  Ca- 
briole, here  is  an  end  of  me ;  I  never  shall  be  able  to 
^et  this  water,  it  is  so  well  guarded  by  the  dragons; 


The  Fair  One  with  the  Golden  Locks       191 

therefore  when  I  am  dead,  fill  this  phial  with  my 
blood,  and  carry  it  to  my  princess,  that  she  may 
see  what  her  severity  has  cost  me :  then  go  to  the 
king  my  master  and  give  him  an  account  of  my  mis- 
fortunes." While  he  was  saying  this,  he  heard  a 
voice  call  "  Avenant,  Avenant !  "  "  Who  calls  me  ?  " 
said  he ;  and  presently  he  espied  an  owl  in  the  hole 
of  an  old  hollow  tree,  who,  calling  him  again,  said, 
"  You  rescued  me  from  the  fowler's  net,  where  I 
had  been  assuredly  taken,  had  you  not  delivered  me. 
I  promised  to  make  you  amends,  and  now  the  time 
is  come ;  give  me  your  phial ;  I  am  acquainted  with 
all  the  secret  inlets  into  the  gloomy  cave,  and  will 
go  and  fetch  you  the  water  of  beauty."  Avenant 
most  gladly  gave  the  phial,  and  the  owl,  entering 
without  any  impediment  into  the  cave,  filled  it,  and 
in  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  returned  with  it 
well  stopped.  Avenant  was  overjoyed  at  his  good 
fortune,  gave  the  owl  a  thousand  thanks,  and  re- 
turned with  a  merry  heart  to  the  city.  Being  ar- 
rived at  the  palace,  he  presented  the  phial  to  the 
Fair  One  with  Locks  of  Gold,  who  had  then  noth- 
ing further  to  say.  She  returned  Avenant  thanks, 
and  gave  orders  for  every  thing  that  was  requisite 
for  her  departure :  after  which  she  set  forward  with 
him.  The  Fair  One  with  Locks  of  Gold  thought 
Avenant  very  amiable,  and  said  to  him  sometimes 
upon  the  road,  "  If  you  had  been  willing,  I  could 
have  made  you  a  king;  and  then  we  need  not  have 
left  my  kingdom."  But  Avenant  replied,  "  I  would 
not  have  been  guilty  of  such  a  piece  of  treachery  to 
my  master  for  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth ;  though 


jg2     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

I  must  acknowledge  your  beauties  are  more  re- 
splendent than  the  sun." 

At  length  they  arrived  at  the  king's  chief  city, 
.who  understanding  that  the  Fair  One  with  Locks 
of.Gold  was  arrived,  he  went  forth  to  meet  her,  and 
made  her  the  richest  presents  in  the  world.  The 
nuptials  were  solemnized  with  such  demonstrations 
of  joy,  that  nothing  else  was  discoursed  of.  But 
the  Fair  One  with  Locks  of  Gold,  who  loved  Ave- 
nant in  her  heart,  was  never  pleased  but  when  she 
was  in  his  company,  and  would  be  always  speaking 
in  his  praise :  "  I  had  never  come  hither,"  said  she  to 
the  king,  "  had  it  not  been  for  Avenant,  who,  to 
serve  me,  has  conquered  impossibilities;  you  are 
infinitely  obliged  to  him;  he  procured  me  the  water 
of  beauty  and  health ;  by  which  I  shall  never  grow 
old,  and  shall  always  preserve  my  health  and 
oeauty."  The  enviers  of  Avenant's  happiness,  who 
heard  the  queen's  words,  said  to  the  king,  "  Were 
your  majesty  inclined  to  be  jealous,  you  have  reason 
enough  to  be  so,  for  the  queen  is  desperately  in  love 
with  Avenant."  "  Indeed,"  said  the  king,  "  I  am 
sensible  of  the  truth  of  what  you  tell  me ;  let  him  be 
put  in  the  great  tower,  with  fetters  upon  his  feet 
and  hands."  Avenant  was  immediately  seized. 
However,  his  little  dog  Cabriole  never  forsook  him, 
but  cheered  him  the  best  he  could,  and  brought  him 
all  the  news  of  the  court.  When  the  Fair  One  with 
Locks  of  Gold  was  informed  of  his  misfortunes, 
she  threw  herself  at  the  king's  feet,  and  all  in  tears 
besought  him  to  release  Avenant  out  of  prison.  But 
the  more  she  besought  him  the  more  he  was  in- 
censed, believing  it  was  her  affection  that  made  her 


The  Fair  One  with  the  Golden  Locks       193 

so  zealous  a  suppliant  in  his  behalf.  Finding  she 
could  not  prevail,  she  said  no  more  to  him,  but 
grew  very  pensive  and  melancholy. 

The  king  took  it  into  his  head  that  she  did  not 
think  him  handsome  enough ;  so  he  resolved  to  wash 
his  face  with  the  water  of  beauty,  in  hopes  that  the 
queen  would  then  conceive  a  greater  affection  for 
him  than  she  had.  This  water  stood  in  a  phial  upon 
a  table  in  the  queen's  chamber,  where  she  had  put 
it,  that  it  might  not  be  out  of  her  sight.  But  one 
of  the  chambermaids  going  to  kill  a  spider  with 
her  besom,  by  accident  threw  down  the  phial,  and 
broke  it,  so  that  the  water  was  lost.  She  dried  it 
up  with  all  the  speed  she  could,  and  not  knowing 
what  to  do,  she  bethought  herself  that  she  had  seen 
a  phial  of  clear  water  in  the  king's  cabinet  very  like 
that  she  had  broken.  Without  any  more  ado,  there- 
fore, she  went  and  fetched  that  phial,  and  set  it 
upon  the  table  in  place  of  the  other.  This  water 
which  was  in  the  king's  cabinet,  was  a  certain  water 
which  he  made  use  of  to  poison  the  great  lords  and 
princes  of  his  court  when  they  were  convicted  of  any 
great  crime ;  to  which  purpose,  instead  of  cutting  off 
their  heads,  or  hanging  them,  he  caused  their  faces 
to  be  rubbed  with  this  water,  which  cast  them  into 
so  profound  a  sleep  that  they  never  waked  again. 
Now  the  king  one  evening  took  this  phial,  and 
rubbed  his  face  well  with  the  water,  after  which  he 
fell  asleep  and  died.  Cabriole  was  one  of  the  first 
that  came  to  a  knowledge  of  this  accident,  and  im- 
mediately ran  to  inform  Avenant  of  it  who  bid 
him  go  to  the  Fair  One  with  Locks  of  Gold,  and 
remind  her  of  the  poor  prisoner.     Cabriole  slipped 


194    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

unperceived  through  the  crowd,  for  there  was  a 
great  noise  and  hurry  at  court  upon  the  king's 
death ;  and  getting  to  the  queen,  "  Madam,"  said  he, 
"  remember  poor  Avenant."  She  presently  called 
to  mind  the  afflictions  he  had  suffered  for  her  sake, 
and  his  fidelity.  Without  speaking  a  word,  she  went 
directly  to  the  great  tower,  and  took  off  the  fetters 
from  Avenant's  feet  and  hands  herself ;  after  which, 
putting  the  crown  upon  his  head,  and  the  royal  man- 
tle about  his  shoulders,  "  Amiable  Avenant,"  said 
she,  "  I  will  make  you  a  sovereign  prince,  and  take 
you  for  my  consort."  Avenant  threw  himself  at  her 
feet,  and  in  terms  the  most  passionate  and  respect- 
ful returned  her  thanks.  Every  body  was  overjoyed 
to  have  him  for  their  king:  the  nuptials  were  the 
most  splendid  in  the  world;  and  the  Fair  One 
with  Locks  of  Gold  lived  a  long  time  with  her  be- 
loved Avenant,  both  happy  and  contented  in  the 
enjoyment  of  each  other. 


CHAPTER   XII 


TOM  THUMB 


In  the  days  of  King  Arthur,  Merlin,  the  most 
learned  enchanter  of  his  time,  was  on  a  journey; 
and,  being  very  weary,  stopped  one  day  at  the  cot- 
tage of  an  honest  ploughman  to  ask  for  refresh- 
ment. The  ploughman's  wife,  with  great  civility, 
immediately  brought  him  some  milk  in  a  wooden 
bowl,  and  some  brown  bread  on  a  wooden  platter. 
Merlin  could  not  help  observing,  that,  although 
every  thing  within  the  cottage  was  particularly  neat 
and  clean,  and  in  good  order,  the  ploughman  and 
his  wife  had  the  most  sorrowful  air  imaginable.  So 
he  questioned  them  on  the  cause  of  their  melancholy, 
and  learned  that  they  were  very  miserable  because 
they  had  no  children.  The  poor  woman  declared, 
with  tears  in  her  eyes,  that  she  should  be  the  hap- 
piest creature  in  the  world  if  she  had  a  son,  al- 
though he  were  no  bigger  than  his  father's  thumb. 
Merlin  was  much  amused  with  the  thoughts  of  a  boy 
no  bigger  than  a  man's  thumb,  and,  as  soon  as  he 
returned  home,  he  sent  for  the  queen  of  the  fairies 
(with  whom  he  was  very  intimate),  and  related  to 
her  the  desire  of  the  ploughman  and  his  wife  to 
have  a  son  the  size  of  his  father's  thumb.  The 
queen  of  the  fairies  liked  the  plan  exceedingly,  and 


196    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

declared  their  wish  should  speedily  be  granted.  Ac- 
cordingly the  ploughman's  wife  had  a  son,  who  in 
a  few  minutes  grew  as  tall  as  his  father's  thumb. 
The  queen  of  the  fairies  came  in  at  the  window  as 
the  mother  was  sitting  up  in  bed  admiring  the 
child.  The  queen  kissed  the  infant,  and  giving  it 
the  name  of  Tom  Thumb,  immediately  summoned 
several  fairies  from  Fairy  Land  to  clothe  her  little 
new  favourite: 

"  An  oak  leaf  hat  he  had  for  his  crown, 
His  shirt  it  was  by  spiders  spun ; 
With  doublet  wove  of  thistle's  down, 
His  trousers  up  with  points  were  done. 
His  stockings,  of  apple  rind,  they  tie 
With  eye-lash  plucked  from  his  mother's  eye, 
His  shoes  were  made  of  a  mouse's  skin, 
Nicely  tanned,  with  the  hair  within." 

Tom  never  was  any  bigger  than  his  father's 
thumb,  which  was  not  a  large  thumb  either ;  but,  as 
he  grew  older,  he  became  very  cunning  and  sly,  for  - 
which  his  mother  did  not  sufficiently  correct  him, 
so  that  when  he  was  able  to  play  with  the  boys  for 
cherry  stones,  and  had  lost  all  his  own,  he  used  to 
creep  into  the  boys'  bags,  fill  his  pockets,  and  come 
out  again  to  play.  But  one  day  as  he  was  getting  out 
of  a  bag  of  cherry  stones,  the  boy  to  whom  it  be- 
longed chanced  to  see  him.  "  Ah  ha,  my  little  Tom 
Thumb !  "  said  the  boy,  "  have  I  caught  you  at  your 
bad  tricks  at  last?  Now  I  will  reward  you  for 
thieving."  Then  drawing  the  string  tight  round 
his    neck,    and    shaking    the    bag    heartily,    the 


Tom  Thumb  197 

cherry  stones  bruised  Tom's  legs,  thighs,  and 
body  sadly ;  which  made  him  beg  to  be  let  out,  and 
promise  never  to  be  guilty  of  such  things  any  more. 
Shortly  afterwards,  Tom's  mother  was  making  a 
batter  pudding,  and,  that  he  might  see  how  she 
mixed  it,  he  climbed  on  the  edge  of  the  bowl ;  but  his- 
foot  happening  to  slip,  he  fell  over  head  and  ears 
into  the  batter,  and  his  mother  not  observing  him, 
stirred  him  into  the  pudding,  and  popped  him  into 
the  pot  to  boil.  The  hot  water  made  Tom  kick  and 
struggle;  and  his  mother,  seeing  the  pudding  jump 
up  and  down  in  such  a  furious  manner,  thought  it 
was  bewitched ;  and  a  tinker  coming  by  just  at  the 
time,  she  quickly  gave  him  the  pudding,  who  put 
it  into  his  budget  and  walked  on. 

As  soon  as  Tom  could  get  the  batter  out  of  his- 
mouth,  he  began  to  cry  aloud;  which  so  frightened 
the  poor  tinker,  that  he  flung  the  pudding  over  the 
hedge,  and  ran  away  from  it  as  fast  as  he  could  run. 
The  pudding  being  broken  to  pieces  by  the  fall,  Tom 
was  released,  and  walked  home  to  his  mother,  who 
gave  him  a  kiss  and  put  him  to  bed.  Tom  Thumb's 
mother  once  took  him  with  her  when  she  went  to 
milk  the  cow;  and  it  being  a  very  windy  day,  she 
tied  him  with  a  needleful  of  thread  to  a  thistle,  that 
he  might  not  be  blown  away.  The  cow  liking  his 
oak  leaf  hat  took  him  and  the  thistle  up  at  one 
mouthful.  While  the  cow  chewed  the  thistle,  Tom, 
terrified  at  her  great  teeth,  which  seemed  ready  to 
crush  him  to  pieces,  roared,  "Mother,  Mother!  "  as 
loud  as  he  could  bawl.  "  Where  are  you,  Tommy, 
my  dear  Tommy  ? "  said  the  mother.  "  Here, 
mother,  here  in  the  red  cow's  mouth."    The  mother 


198     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

began  to  cry  and  wring  her  hands ;  but  the  cow  sur- 
prised at  such  odd  noises  in  her  throat,  opened  her 
mouth  and  let  him  drop  out.  His  mother  clapped 
him  into  her  apron,  and  ran  home  with  him.  Tom's 
father  made  him  a  whip  of  a  barley  straw  to  drive 
the  cattle  with,  and  being  one  day  in  the  field,  he 
slipped  into  a  deep  furrow.  A  raven  flying  over, 
picked  him  up  with  a  grain  of  corn,  and  flew  with 
him  to  the  top  of  a  giant's  castle,  by  the  seaside, 
where  he  left  him ;  and  old  Grumbo  the  giant,  com- 
ing soon  after  to  walk  upon  his  terrace,  swallowed 
Tom  like  a  pill,  clothes  and  all.  Tom  presently  made 
the  giant  very  uncomfortable,  and  he  threw  him  up 
into  the  sea.  A  great  fish  then  swallowed  him.  The 
fish  was  soon  after  caught,  and  sent  as  a  present  to 
King  Arthur.  When  it  was  cut  open,  every  body 
was  delighted  with  little  Tom  Thumb.  The  king 
made  him  his  dwarf;  he  was  the  favourite  of  the 
whole  court;  and,  by  his  merry  pranks,  often 
amused  the  queen  and  the  knights  of  the  Round  Ta- 
ble. The  king,  when  he  rode  on  horseback,  fre- 
quently took  Tom  in  his  hand ;  and,  if  a  shower  of 
rain  came  on,  he  used  to  creep  into  the  king's  waist- 
coat pocket,  and  sleep  till  the  rain  was  over.  The 
king  also,  sometimes  questioned  Tom  concerning  his 
parents;  and  when  Tom  informed  his  majesty  they 
were  very  poor  people,  the  king  led  him  into  his 
treasury,  and  told  him  he  should  pay  his  friends  a 
visit,  and  take  with  him  as  much  money  as  he  could 
carry.  Tom  procured  a  little  purse,  and  putting  a 
threepenny  piece  into  it,  with  much  labour  and  diffi- 
culty got  it  upon  his  back ;  and,  after  travelling  two 
days  and  nights,  arrived  at  his  father's  house. 


Tom  Thumb  199 

His  mother  met  him  at  the  door,  almost  tired  to 
death,  having  in  forty-eight  hours  travelled  almost 
half  a  mile  with  a  huge  silver  threepence  upon  his 
back.  His  parents  were  glad  to  see  him,  especially 
when  he  had  brought  such  an  amazing  sum  of  money 
with  him.  They  placed  him  in  a  walnut  shell  by  the 
fire  side,  and  feasted  him  for  three  days  upon  a 
hazel  nut,  which  made  him  sick,  for  a  whole  nut 
usually  served  him  a  month.  Tom  got  well,  but 
could  not  travel  because  it  had  rained;  therefore 
his  mother  took  him  in  her  hand,  and  with  one  puff 
blew  him  into  King  Arthur's  court ;  where  Tom  en- 
tertained the  king,  queen,  and  nobility  at  tilts  and 
tournaments,  at  which  he  exerted  himself  so  much 
that  he  brought  on  a  fit  of  sickness,  and  his  life  was 
despaired  of.  At  this  juncture  the  queen  of  the 
fairies  came  in  a  chariot  drawn  by  flying  mice, 
placed  Tom  by  her  side,  and  drove  through  the  air, 
without  stopping  till  they  arrived  at  her  palace; 
when,  after  restoring  him  to  health,  and  permitting 
him  to  enjoy  all  the  gay  diversions  of  Fairy  Land, 
the  queen  commanded  a  fair  wind,  and,  placing  Tom 
before  it,  blew  him  straight  to  the  court  of  King 
Arthur.  But  just  as  Tom  should  have  alighted  in 
the  courtyard  of  the  palace,  the  cook  happened  to 
pass  along  with  the  king's  great  bowl  of  firmity 
(King  Arthur  loved  firmity),  and  poor  Tom  Thumb 
fell  plump  into  the  middle  of  it  and  splashed  the  hot 
firmity  into  the  cook's  eyes.  Down  went  the  bowl. 
"  Oh  dear ;  oh  dear !  "  cried  Tom ;  "  Murder !  mur- 
der ! "  bellowed  the  cook !  and  away  ran  the  king's 
nice  firmity  into  the  kennel.  The  cook  was  a  red- 
faced,  cross  fellow,  and  swore  to  the  king,  that  Tom 


200    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

had  done  it  out  of  mere  mischief;  so  he  was  taken 
up,  tried,  and  sentenced  to  be  beheaded.  Tom  hear- 
ing this  dreadful  sentence,  and  seeing  a  miller 
stand  by  with  his  mouth  wide  open,  he  took  a  good 
spring,  and  jumped  down  the  miller's  throat,  unper- 
ceived  by  all,  even  by  the  miller  himself. 

Tom  being  lost,  the  court  broke  up,  and  away  went 
the  miller  to  his  mill.  But  Tom  did  not  leave  him 
long  at  rest,  he  began  to  roll  and  tumble  about, 
so  that  the  miller  thought  himself  bewitched,  and 
sent  for  a  doctor.  When  the  doctor  came,  Tom  be- 
gan to  dance  and  sing;  the  doctor  was  as  much 
frightened  as  the  miller,  and  sent  in  great  haste  for 
five  more  doctors,  and  twenty  learned  men.  While 
all  these  were  debating  upon  the  affair,  the  miller 
(for  they  were  very  tedious)  happened  to  yawn, 
and  Tom,  taking  the  opportunity,  made  another 
jump,  and  alighted  on  his  feet  in  the  middle  of  the 
table.  The  miller,  provoked  to  be  thus  tormented 
by  such  a  little  creature,  fell  into  a  great  passion, 
caught  hold  of  Tom,  and  threw  him  out  of  the  win- 
dow, into  the  river.  A  large  salmon  swimming  by, 
snapped  him  up  in  a  minute.  The  salmon  was  soon 
caught  and  sold  in  the  market  to  the  steward  of  a 
lord.  The  lord,  thinking  it  an  uncommon  fine  fish, 
made  a  present  of  it  to  the  king,  who  ordered  it  to 
be  dressed  immediately.  When  the  cook  cut  open 
the  salmon,  he  found  poor  Tom,  and  ran  with  him 
directly  to  the  king;  but  the  king  being  busy  with 
state  affairs,  desired  that  he  might  be  brought  an- 
other day.  The  cook  resolving  to  keep  him  safely 
this  time,  as  he  had  so  lately  given  him  the  slip, 
clapped  him  into  a  mouse-trap,  and  left  him  to  amuse 


Tom  Thumb  201 

himself  by  peeping  through  the  wires  for  a  whole 
week ;  when  the  king  sent  for  him,  he  forgave  him 
for  throwing  down  the  firmity,  ordered  him  new 
clothes  and  knighted  him. 

"  His  shirt  was  made  of  butterflies'  wings ; 
His  boots  were  made  of  chicken  skins ; 
His  coat  and  breeches  were  made  with  pride ; 
A  tailor's  needle  hung  by  his  side ; 
A  mouse  for  a  horse  he  used  to  ride." 

Thus  dressed  and  mounted,  he  rode  a  hunting 
with  the  king  and  nobility,  who  all  laughed  heartily 
at  Tom  and  his  fine  prancing  steed.  As  they  rode 
by  a  farm  house  one  day,  a  cat  jumped  from  be- 
hind the  door,  seized  the  mouse  and  little  Tom,  and 
began  to  devour  the  mouse.  However,  Tom  boldly 
drew  his  sword  and  attacked  the  cat,  who  then  let 
him  fall.  The  king  and  his  nobles  seeing  Tom  fall- 
ing, went  to  his  assistance,  and  one  of  the  lords 
caught  him  in  his  hat;  but  poor  Tom  was  sadly 
scratched,  and  his  clothes  were  torn  by  the  claws 
of  the  cat.  In  this  condition  he  was  carried  home, 
when  a  bed  of  down  was  made  for  him  in  a  little 
ivory  cabinet.  The  queen  of  the  fairies  came,  and 
took  him  again  to  Fairy  Land,  where  she  kept  him 
for  some  years;  and  then,  dressing  him  in  bright 
green,  sent  him  flying  once  more  through  the  air 
to  the  earth,  in  the  days  of  King  Thunstone.  The 
people  flocked  far  and  near  to  look  at  him ;  and  the 
king,  before  whom  he  was  carried,  asked  him  who 
he  was,  whence  he  came,  and  where  he  lived  ?  Tom 
answered : 


202     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"  My  name  is  Tom  Thumb, 
From  the  Fairies  I  come; 
When  King  Arthur  shone, 
This  court  was  my  home. 
In  me  he  delighted, 
By  him  I  was  knighted, 
Did  you  never  hear  of 
Sir  Thomas  Thumb?  " 

The  king  was  so  charmed  with  this  address,  that 
he  ordered  a  little  chair  to  be  made,  in  order  that 
Tom  might  sit  on  his  table,  and  also  a  palace  of  gold 
a  span  high,  with  a  door  an  inch  wide,  for  little  Tom 
to  live  in.  He  also  gave  him  a  coach  drawn  by  six 
small  mice.  This  made  the  queen  angry,  because  she 
had  not  a  new  coach  too.  Therefore,  resolving  to 
ruin  Tom,  she  complained  to  the  king  that  he  had 
behaved  very  insolently  to  her.  The  king  sent  for 
him  in  a  rage.  Tom,  to  escape  his  fury,  crept  into 
an  empty  snail-shell,  and  there  lay  till  he  was  al- 
most starved  ;  when  peeping  out  of  the  shell,  he  saw 
a  fine  butterfly  settled  on  the  ground.  He  now  ven- 
tured out,  and  getting  astride,  the  butterfly  took 
wing,  and  mounted  into  the  air  with  little  Tom  on 
his  back.  Away  he  flew  from  field  to  field,  from 
tree  to  tree,  till  at  last  he  flew  to  the  king's  court. 
The  king,  queen,  and  nobles,  all  strove  to  catch  the 
butterfly,  but  could  not.  At  length  poor  Tom,  hav- 
ing neither  bridle  nor  saddle,  slipped  from  his  seat, 
and  fell  into  a  white  pot,  where  he  was  found  almost 
drowned.  The  queen  vowed  he  should  be  guillo- 
tined: but  while  the  guillotine  was  getting  ready, 
he  was  secured  once  more  in  a  mouse-trap;  when 


Tom  Thumb  203 

the  cat  seeing  something  stir,  and  supposing  it  to  be 
a  mouse,  patted  the  trap  about  till  she  broke  it,  and 
set  Tom  at  liberty.  Soon  afterwards  a  spider,  tak- 
ing him  for  a  fly,  made  at  him.  Tom  drew  his 
sword  and  fought  valiantly,  but  the  spider's  poison- 
ous breath  overcame  him : 

"  He  fell  dead  on  the  ground  where  late  he  had 

stood, 
And  the  spider  sucked  up  the  last  drop  of  his  blood." 

King  Thunstone  and  his  whole  court  went  into 
mourning  for  little  Tom  Thumb.  They  buried  him 
under  a  rosebush,  and  raised  a  nice  white  marble 
monument  over  his  grave,  writh  the  following  epi- 
taph: 

"  Here  lies  Tom  Thumb,  King  Arthur's  knight, 
Who  died  by  spider's  cruel  bite. 
He  was  well  known  in  Arthur's  court, 
Where  he  afforded  gallant  sport ; 
He  rode  at  tilt  and  tournament, 
And  on  a  mouse  a  hunting  went ; 
Alive  he  filled  the  court  with  mirth, 
His  death  to  sorrow  soon  gave  birth. 
Wipe,  wipe  your  eyes,  and  shake  your  head 
And  cry,  '  Alas !  Tom  Thumb  is  dead.'  " 


CHAPTER  XIII 


BLUE   BEARD 


There  was,  some  time  ago,  a  gentleman  who  was 
very  rich.  He  had  fine  town  and  country  houses,  his 
dishes  and  plates  were  all  of  gold  or  silver,  his 
rooms  were  hung  with  damask,  his  chairs  and  sofas 
were  covered  with  the  richest  silks,  and  his  carriages 
were  all  gilt  with  gold  in  a  grand  style.  But  it 
happened  that  this  gentleman  had  a  blue  beard, 
which  made  him  so  very  frightful  and  ugly,  that 
none  of  the  ladies,  in  the  parts  where  he  lived,  would 
venture  to  go  into  his  company.  Now  there  was  a 
certain  lady  of  rank,  who  lived  very  near  him,  and 
had  two  daughters,  both  of  them  of  very  great 
beauty.  Blue  Beard  asked  her  to  bestow  one  of 
them  upon  him  for  a  wife,  and  left  it  to  herself  to 
choose  which  of  the  two  it  should  be.  But  both 
the  young  ladies  again  and  again  said  they  would 
never  marry  Blue  Beard ;  yet,  to  be  as  civil  as  they 
could,  each  of  them  said,  the  only  reason  why  she 
would  not  have  him  was,  because  she  was  loath  to 
hinder  her  sister  from  the  match,  which  would  be 
such  a  good  one  for  her.  Still  the  truth  of  the 
matter  was,  they  could  neither  of  them  bear  the 
thoughts  of  having  a  husband  with  a  blue  beard; 
and  besides,  they  had  heard  of  his  having  been  mar- 


Blue  Beard  205 

ried  to  several  wives  before,  and  nobody  could  tell 
what  had  ever  become  of  any  of  them.  As  Blue 
Beard  wished  very  much  to  gain  their  favour,  he 
asked  the  lady  and  her  daughters,  and  some  ladies 
who  were  on  a  visit  at  their  house,  to  go  with  him 
to  one  of  his  country  seats,  where  they  spent  a  whole 
week,  during  which  they  passed  all  their  time  in 
nothing  but  parties  for  hunting  and  fishing,  music, 
dancing,  and  feasts.  No  one  even  thought  of  going 
to  bed,  and  the  nights  were  passed  in  merry-makings 
of  all  kinds.  In  short,  the  time  rolled  on  in  so  much 
pleasure,  that  the  youngest  of  the  two  sisters  began 
to  think  that  the  beard  which  she  had  been  so  much 
afraid  of,  was  not  so  very  blue,  and  that  the  gentle- 
man who  owned  it  was  vastly  civil  and  pleasing. 
Soon  after  their  return  home,  she  told  her  mother 
that  she  had  no  longer  any  dislike  to  accept  of  Blue 
Beard  for  her  husband ;  and  in  a  very  short  time 
they  were  married. 

About  a  month  after  the  marriage  had  taken 
place,  Blue  Beard  told  his  wife  that  he  should  be 
forced  to  leave  her  for  a  few  weeks,  as  he  had 
some  affairs  to  attend  to  in  the  country.  He 
desired  her  to  be  sure  to  indulge  herself  in  every 
kind  of  pleasure,  to  invite  as  many  of  her  friends 
as  she  liked,  and  to  treat  them  with  all  sorts  of 
dainties,  that  her  time  might  pass  pleasantly  till  he 
came  back  again.  "  Here,"  said  he,  "  are  the  keys 
of  the  two  large  wardrobes.  This  is  the  key  of  the 
great  box  that  contains  the  best  plate,  which  we  use 
for  company,  this  belongs  to  my  strong,  box,  where 
I  keep  my  money,  and  this  belongs  to  the  casket, 
in  which  are  all  my  jewels.    Here  also  is  a  master- 


206     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

key  to  all  the  rooms  in  the  house ;  but  this  small  key 
belongs  to  the  closet  at  the  end  of  the  long  gallery 
on  the  ground  floor.  I  give  you  leave,"  said  he, 
"  to  open,  or  to  do  what  you  like  with  all  the  rest 
except  this  closet.  This,  my  dear,  you  must  not 
enter,  nor  even  put  the  key  into  the  lock,  for  all  the 
world.  If  you  do  not  obey  me  in  this  one  thing, 
you  must  expect  the  most  dreadful  punishments." 
She  promised  to  obey  his  orders  in  the  most  faith- 
ful manner;  and  Blue  Beard,  after  kissing  her  ten- 
derly, stepped  into  his  coach,  and  drove  away. 

When  Blue  Beard  was  gone,  the  friends  of  his 
wife  did  not  wait  to  be  asked,  so  eager  were  they 
to  see  all  the  riches  and  fine  things  she  had  gained 
by  marriage;  for  they  had  none  of  them  gone  to 
the  wedding,  on  account  of  their  dislike  to  the 
blue  beard  of  the  bridegroom.  As  soon  as  ever 
they  came  to  the  house,  they  ran  about  from  room 
to  room,  from  closet  to  closet,  and  then  from  ward- 
robe to  wardrobe,  looking  into  each  with  wonder 
and  delight,  and  said,  that  every  fresh  one  they 
came  to,  was  richer  and  finer  than  what  they  had 
seen  the  moment  before.  At  last  they  came  to  the 
drawing-rooms,  where  their  surprise  was  made  still 
greater  by  the  costly  grandeur  of  the  hangings,  the 
sofas,  the  chairs,  carpets,  tables,  sideboards,  and 
looking-glasses ;  the  frames  of  these  last  were  silver- 
gilt,  most  richly  adorned,  and  in  the  glasses  they 
saw  themselves  from  head  to  foot.  In  short,  noth- 
ing could  exceed  the  richness  of  what  they  saw ;  and 
they  all  did  not  fail  to  admire  and  envy  the  good 
fortune  of  their  friend.  But  all  this  time  the  bride 
herself    was    far    from    thinking    about    the    fine 


Blue  Beard  207 

speeches  they  made  to  her,  for  she  was  eager  to  see 
what  was  in  the  closet  her  husband  had  told  her  not 
to  open.  So  great,  indeed,  was  her  desire  to  do  this, 
that,  without  once  thinking  how  rude  it  would  be  to 
leave  her  guests,  she  slipped  away  down  a  private 
staircase  that  led  to  this  forbidden  closet,  and  in 
such  a  hurry,  that  she  was  two  or  three  times  in 
danger  of  falling  down  stairs  and  breaking  her 
neck. 

When  she  reached  the  door  of  the  closet,  she 
stopped  for  a  few  moments  to  think  of  the  order 
her  husband  had  given  her,  and  how  he  had  told 
her  that  he  would  not  fail  to  keep  his  word  and 
punish  her  very  severely,  if  she  did  not  obey  him. 
But  she  was  so  very  curious  to  know  what  was  in- 
side, that  she  made  up  her  mind  to  venture  in  spite 
of  every  thing.  She  then,  with  a  trembling  hand, 
put  the  key  into  the  lock,  and  the  door  straight  flew 
open.  As  the  window  shutters  were  closed,  she  at 
first  could  see  nothing;  but  in  a  short  time  she  saw 
that  the  floor  was  covered  with  clotted  blood,  on 
which  the  bodies  of  several  dead  women  were  lying. 

These  were  all  the  wives  whom  Blue  Beard  had 
married,  and  killed  one  after  another.  At  this  sight 
she  was  ready  to  sink  with  fear,  and  the  key  of  the 
closet  door,  which  she  held  in  her  hand,  fell  on  the 
floor.  When  she  had  a  little  got  the  better  of  her 
fright,  she  took  it  up,  locked  the  door,  and  made 
haste  back  to  her  own  room,  that  she  might  have  a 
little  time  to  get  into  a  humour  to  amuse  her  com- 
pany; but  this  she  could  not  do,  so  great  was  her 
fright  at  what  she  had  seen.  As  she  found  that  the 
key  of  the  closet  had  got  stained  with  blood  in  fall- 


208    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

mg  on  the  floor,  she  wiped  it  two  or  three  times  over 
to  clean  it ;  yet  still  the  blood  kept  on  it  the  same  as 
before.  She  next  washed  it,  but  the  blood  did  not 
move  at  all.  She  then  scoured  it  with  brickdust, 
and  after  with  sand,  but  in  spite  of  all  she  could  do, 
the  blood  was  still  there;  for  the  key  was  a  fairy 
who  was  Blue  Beard's  friend ;  so  that  as  fast  as  she 
got  off  the  blood  on  one  side,  it  came  again  on  the 
other.  Early  in  the  same  evening  Blue  Beard  came 
home,  saying,  that  before  he  had  gone  far  on  his 
journey  he  was  met  by  a  horseman,  who  was  com- 
ing to  tell  him  that  his  affair  in  the  country  was 
settled  without  his  being  present;  upon  which  his 
wife  said  every  thing  she  could  think  of,  to  make 
him  believe  she  was  in  a  transport  of  joy  at  his 
sudden  return. 

The  next  morning  he  asked  her  for  the  keys: 
she  gave  them  to  him;  but  as  she  could  not  help 
showing  her  fright,  Blue  Beard  easily  guessed  what 
had  been  the  matter.  "  How  is  it,"  said  he,  "  that 
the  key  of  the  closet  upon  the  ground  floor  is  not 
here?"  "Is  it  not?"  said  the  wife,  "then  I  must 
have  left  it  on  my  dressing-table.  "  Be  sure  you 
give  it  me  by  and  by,"  replied  Blue  Beard.  After 
going  a  good  many  times  backwards  and  forwards, 
as  if  she  was  looking  for  the  key,  she  was  at  last 
forced  to  give  it  to  Blue  Beard.  He  looked  hard 
at  it,  and  then  said :  "  How  came  this  blood  upon 
the  key  ?  "  "I  am  sure  I  do  not  know,"  replied  the 
poor  lady,  at  the  same  time  turning  as  white  as  a 
sheet.  "  You  do  not  know  ? "  said  Blue  Beard 
sternly,  "  but  I  know  well  enough.  You  have  been 
in  the  closet  on    the    ground  floor!     Very    well, 


Blue  Beard  209- 

madam :  since  you  are  so  mighty  fond  of  this  closet, 
you  shall  be  sure  to  take  your  place  among  the  ladies 
you  saw  there."  His  wife,  who  was  almost  dead 
with  fear,  now  fell  upon  her  knees,  asked  his  pardon 
a  thousand  times  for  her  fault,  and  begged  him  to 
forgive  her,  looking  all  the  time  so  very  mournful 
and  lovely,  that  she  would  have  melted  any  heart 
that  was  not  harder  than  a  rock.  But  Blue  Beard 
only  said,  "  No,  no,  madam ;  you  shall  die  this  very 
minute !  "  "  Alas  !  "  said  the  poor  trembling  creat- 
ure, "  if  I  must  die,  give  me,  as  least,  a  little  time 
to  say  my  prayers."  "  I  give  you,"  replied  the  cruel 
Blue  Beard,  "  half  a  quarter  of  an  hour :  not  a 
moment  longer."  When  Blue  Beard  had  left  her  to 
herself,  she  called  her  sister;  and  after  telling  her, 
as  well  as  she  could  for  sobbing,  that  she  had  but 
half  a  quarter  of  an  hour  to  live ;  "  Prithee,"  said', 
she,  "sister  Anne,"  (this  was  her  sister's  name), 
run  up  to  the  top  of  the  tower,  and  see  if  my 
brothers  are  not  in  sight,  for  they  said  they  would 
visit  me  to-day,  and  if  you  see  them,  make  a  sign 
for  them  to  gallop  on  as  fast  as  ever  they  can."  Her 
sister  straight  did  as  she  was  desired ;  and  the  poor 
trembling  lady  every  minute  cried  out  to  her: 
"  Anne !  sister  Anne !  do  you  see  any  one  coming?  " 
Her  sister  said,  "  I  see  nothing  but  the  sun,  which 
makes  a  dust,  and  the  grass,  which  looks  green." 

In  the  meanwhile,  Blue  Beard,  with  a  great  cim- 
eter  in  his  hand,  bawled  as  loud  as  he  could  to  his 
wife,  "  Come  down  at  once,  or  I  will  fetch  you." 
"  One  moment  longer,  I  beseech  you,"  replied  she, 
and  again  called  softly  to  her  sister,  "  Sister  Anne, 
do    you    see  any  one    coming  ? "      To  which  she 


2io    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

answered,  "  I  see  nothing  but  the  sun,  which  makes 
a  dust,  and  the  grass,  which  looks  green."  Blue 
Beard  now  again  bawled  out,  "  Come  down,  I  say, 
this  very  moment,  or  I  shall  come  to  fetch  you." 
"  I  am  coming ;  indeed  I  will  come  in  one  minute," 
sobbed  his  wretched  wife.  Then  she  once  more 
cried  out,  "  Anne !  sister  Anne !  do  you  see  any  one 
coming?"  "I  see,"  said  her  sister,  "a  cloud  of 
dust  a  little  to  the  left."  "  Do  you  think  it  is  my 
brothers  ?  "  said  the  wife.  "  Alas  !  no,  dear  sister," 
replied  she,  "  it  is  only  a  flock  of  sheep."  "  Will 
you  come  down,  madam  ?  "  said  Blue  Beard,  in  the 
greatest  rage.  "  Only  one  single  moment  more," 
said  she.  And  then  she  called  out  for  the  last  time, 
"  Sister  Anne !  sister  Anne !  do  you  see  no  one  com- 
ing? "I  see,"  replied  her  sister,  "two  men  on 
horseback  coming;  but  they  are  still  a  great  way 
off."  "  Thank  God,"  cried  she,  "  they  are  my 
brothers ;  beckon  them  to  make  haste."  Blue  Beard 
now  cried  out  so  loud  for  her  to  come  down,  that 
his  voice  shook  the  whole  house.  The  poor  lady, 
with  her  hair  loose,  and  all  in  tears,  now  came  down, 
and  fell  on  her  kness,  begging  him  to  spare  her 
life ;  but  he  stopped  her,  saying,  "  All  this  is  of  no 
use,  for  you  shall  die :  "  and  then,  seizing  her  by 
the  hair,  raised  his  cimeter  to  strike  off  her  head. 
The  poor  woman  now  begged  a  single  moment  to 
say  one  prayer.  "  No,  no,"  said  Blue  Beard,  "  I 
will  give  you  no  more  time.  You  have  had  too 
much  already."  And  again  he  raised  his  arm.  Just 
at  this  instant  a  loud  knocking  was  heard  at  the 
gates,  which  made  Blue  Beard  wait  for  a  moment  to 
see  who  it  was.    The  gates  now  flew  open,  and  two 


Blue  Beard  211 

officers,  dressed  in  their  uniform,  came  in,  and,  with 
their  swords  in  their  hands,  ran  straight  to  Blue 
Beard,  who,  seeing  they  were  his  wife's  brothers, 
tried  to  escape  from  their  presence ;  but  they  pur- 
sued and  seized  him  before  he  had  gone  twenty 
steps,  and  plunging  their  swords  into  his  body  he 
fell  down  dead  at  their  feet. 

The  poor  wife,  who  was  almost  as  dead  as  her 
husband,  was  not  able  at  first  to  rise  and  embrace 
her  brothers;  but  she  soon  came  to  herself;  and,  as 
Blue  Beard  had  no  heirs,  she  found  herself  the 
owner  of  his  great  riches.  She  gave  a  part  of  his 
vast  fortune  as  a  marriage  dowry  to  her  sister  Anne, 
who  soon  after  became  the  wife  of  a  young  gentle- 
man who  had  long  loved  her.  Some  of  the  money 
she  laid  out  in  buying  captains'  commissions  for  her 
two  brothers,  and  the  rest  she  gave  to  a  worthy 
gentleman  whom  she  married  shortly  after,  and 
whose  kind  treatment  soon  made  her  forget  Blue 
Beard's  cruelty. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

CINDERELLA ;  OR,  THE  LITTLE  GLASS  SLIPPER 

There  was  once  a  very  rich  gentleman  who  lost 
his  wife,  and  having  loved  her  exceedingly,  he  was 
very  sorry  when  she  died.  Finding  himself  quite 
unhappy  for  her  loss,  he  resolved  to  marry  a  second 
time,  thinking  by  this  means  he  should  be  as  happy 
as  before.  Unfortunately,  however,  the  lady  he 
chanced  to  fix  upon  was  the  proudest  and  most 
haughty  woman  ever  known ;  she  was  always  out 
of  humour  with  every  one ;  nobody  could  please  her, 
and  she  returned  the  civilities  of  those  about  her  with 
the  most  affronting  disdain.  She  had  two  daugh- 
ters by  a  former  husband.  These  she  brought  up  to 
he  proud  and  idle.  Indeed,  in  temper  and  behaviour 
they  perfectly  resembled  their  mother;  they  did  not 
love  their  books,  and  would  not  learn  to  work;  in 
short  they  were  disliked  by  every  body.  The  gentle- 
man on  his  side  too  had  a  daughter,  who  in  sweet- 
ness of  temper  and  carriage  was  the  exact  likeness 
of  her  own  mother,  whose  death  he  had  so  much 
lamented,  and  whose  tender  care  of  the  little  girl  he 
was  in  hopes  to  see  replaced  by  that  of  his  new  bride. 
But  scarcely  was  the  marriage  ceremony  over,  before 
his  wife  began  to  show  her  real  temper.  She  could 
not  bear  the  pretty  little  girl,  because  her  sweet 
obliging  manners  made  those  of  her  own  daughters 


Cinderella;  or,  The  Little  Glass  Slipper     213 

appear  a  thousand  times  the  more  odious  and  dis- 
agreeable. She  therefore  ordered  her  to  live  in  the 
kitchen ;  and,  if  ever  she  brought  any  thing  into  the 
parlour,  always  scolded  her  till  she  was  out  of  sight. 
She  made  her  work  with  the  servants  in  washing 
the  dishes,  and  rubbing  the  tables  and  chairs ;  it 
was  her  place  to  clean  madam's  chamber,  and  that 
of  the  misses  her  daughters,  which  was  all  inlaid, 
had  beds  of  the  newest  fashion,  and  looking-glasses 
so  long  and  broad,  that  they  saw  themselves  from 
head  to  foot  in  them;  while  the  little  creature  her- 
self was  forced  to  sleep  up  in  a  sorry  garret,  upon 
a  wretched  straw  bed,  without  curtains,  or  any  thing 
to  make  her  comfortable.  The  poor  child  bore  this 
with  the  greatest  patience,  not  daring  to  complain 
to  her  father,  who,  she  feared,  would  only  reprove, 
her,  for  she  saw  that  his  wife  governed  him  entirely. 
When  she  had  done  all  her  work  she  used  to  sit  in 
the  chimney-corner  among  the  cinders;  so  that  in 
the  house  she  went  by  the  name  of  Cinderbreech. 
The  youngest  of  the  two  sisters,  however,  being 
rather  more  civil  than  the  eldest,  called  her  Cinder- 
ella. And  Cinderella,  dirty  and  ragged  as  she  was, 
as  often  happens  in  such  cases,  was  a  thousand  times 
prettier  than  her  sisters,  drest  out  in  all  their  splen- 
dour. It  happened  that  the  king's  son  gave  a  ball, 
to  which  he  invited  all  the  persons  of  fashion  in  the 
country.  Our  two  misses  were  of  the  number,  for 
the  king's  son  did  not  know  how  disagreeable  they 
were,  but  supposed,  as  they  were  so  much  indulge^, 
that  they  were  extremely  amiable.  He  did  not  in- 
vite Cinderella,  for  he  had  never  seen  or  heard  of 
her. 


214     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

The  two  sisters  began  immediately  to  be  very  busy 
in  preparing  for  the  happy  day.  Nothing  could  ex- 
ceed their  joy.  Every  moment  of  their  time  was 
spent  in  fancying  such  gowns,  shoes,  and  head- 
dresses as  would  set  them  off  to  the  greatest  ad- 
vantage. All  this  was  new  vexation  to  poor  Cinder- 
ella, for  it  was  she  who  ironed  and  plaited  lier  sisters' 
linen.  They  talked  of  nothing  but  how  they  should 
be  dressed :  "  I,"  said  the  eldest,  "  will  wear  my  scar- 
let velvet  with  French  trimming."  "  And  I,"  said 
the  youngest,  "  shall  wear  the  same  petticoat  I  had 
made  for  the  last  ball.  But  then,  to  make  amends 
for  that,  I  shall  put  on  my  gold  muslin  train,  and 
wear  my  diamonds  in  my  hair;  with  these  I  must 
certainly  look  well."  They  sent  several  miles  for  the 
best  hair  dresser  that  was  to  be  had,  and  all  their 
ornaments  were  bought  at  the  most  fashionable 
shops.  On  the  morning  of  the  ball,  they  called  up 
Cinderella  to  consult  with  her  about  their  dress,  for 
they  knew  she  had  a  great  deal  of  taste.  Cinderella 
gave  them  the  best  advice  she  could,  and  even 
offered  to  assist  in  adjusting  their  head-dresses; 
which  was  exactly  what  they  wanted,  and  they  ac- 
cordingly accepted  her  proposal.  While  Cinderella 
was  busily  engaged  in  dressing  her  sisters,  they  said 
to  her,  "  Should  you  not  like,  Cinderella,  to  go  to 
the  ball  ?  "  "  Ah !  "  replied  Cinderella,  "  you  are  only 
laughing  at  me,  it  is  not  for  such  as  I  am  to  think  of 
going  to  balls."  "  You  are  in  the  right,"  said  they, 
"  folks  might  laugh  indeed,  to  see  a  Cinderbreech 
dancing  in  a  ball  room."  Any  other  than  Cinderella 
would  have  tried  to  make  the  haughty  creatures  look 
as  ugly  as  she  could;  but  the  sweet  tempered  girl, 


Cinderella;  or,  The  Little  Glass  Slipper     215 

on  the  contrary,  did  every  thing  she  could  think  of  to 
make  them  look  well.  The  sisters  had  scarcely  eaten 
any  thing  for  two  days,  so  great  was  their  joy  as 
the  happy  day  drew  near.  More  than  a  dozen  laces 
were  broken  in  endeavouring  to  give  them  a  fine 
slender  shape,  and  they  were  always  before  the 
looking  glass.  At  length  the  much  wished  for  mo- 
ment arrived ;  the  proud  misses  stepped  into  a  beauti- 
ful carriage,  and,  followed  by  servants  in  rich  liv- 
eries, drove  towards  the  palace.  Cinderella  followed 
them  with  her  eyes  as  far  as  she  could;  and  when 
they  were  out  of  sight,  she  sat  down  in  a  corner  and 
began  to  cry.    Her  godmother,  who  saw  her  in  tears, 

asked  her  what  ailed  her.    "  I  wish 1  w-i-s-h — " 

sobbed  poor  Cinderella,  without  being  able  to  say 
another  word.  The  godmother,  who  was  a  fairy, 
said  to  her,  "  You  wish  to  go  to  the  ball,  Cinderella, 
is  not  this  the  truth  ?  "  "  Alas !  yes,"  replied  the 
poor  child,  sobbing  still  more  than  before.  "  Well, 
well,  be  a  good  girl,"  said  the  godmother,  "  and  you 
shall  go."  She  then  led  Cinderella  to  her  bedcham- 
ber, and  said  to  her :  "Run  into  the  garden  and  bring 
me  a  pumpkin."  Cinderella  flew  like  lightning,  and 
brought  the  finest  she  could  lay  hold  of.  Her  god- 
mother scooped  out  the  inside,  leaving  nothing  but 
the  rind ;  she  then  struck  it  with  her  wand,  and  the 
pumpkin  instantly  became  a  fine  coach  gilded  all 
over  with  gold.  She  then  looked  into  her  mouse- 
trap, where  she  found  six  mice  all  alive  and  brisk. 
She  told  Cinderella  to  lift  up  the  door  of  the  trap 
very  gently ;  and  as  the  mice  passed  out,  she  touched 
them  one  by  one  with  her  wand,  and  each  immedi- 
ately became  a  beautiful  horse  of  a  fine  dapple  graj 


2i6    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

mouse  colour.  "  Here,  my  child,"  said  the  god- 
mother, "  is  a  coach  and  horses  too,  as  handsome  as 
your  sisters',  but  what  shall  we  do  for  a  postillion  ?  " 
"  I  will  run,"  replied  Cinderella,  "  and  see  if  there 
be  not  a  rat  in  the  trap.  If  I  find  one,  he  will  do  very 
well  for  a  postillion."  "  Well  thought  of,  my  child," 
said  her  godmother ;  "  make  what  haste  you  can." 

Cinderella  brought  the  rat  trap,  which,  to  her 
great  joy,  contained  three  of  the  largest  rats  ever 
seen.  The  fairy  chose  the  one  which  had  the  longest 
beard ;  and  touching  him  with  her  wand,  he  was  in- 
stantly turned  into  a  handsome  postillion,  with  the 
finest  pair  of  whiskers  imaginable.  She  next  said 
to  Cinderella :  "  Go  again  into  the  garden,  and  you 
will  find  six  lizards  behind  the  watering-pot;  bring 
them  hither."  This  was  no  sooner  done,  than  with 
a  stroke  from  the  fairy's  wand  they  were  changed 
into  six  footmen,  who  all  jumped  up  behind  the 
coach  in  their  laced  liveries,  and  stood  side  by  side  as 
cleverly  as  if  they  had  been  used  to  nothing  else  the 
whole  of  their  lives.  The  fairy  then  said  to  Cin- 
derella :  "  Well,  my  dear,  is  not  this  such  an  equip- 
age as  you  could  wish  for  to  take  you  to  the  ball? 
Are  you  not  delighted  with  it  ? "  "  Y-e-s,"  replied 
Cinderella  with  hesitation,  "  but  must  I  go  thither 
in  these  filthy  rags  ?  "  Her  godmother  touched  her 
with  the  wand,  and  her  rags  instantly  became  the 
most  magnificent  apparel,  ornamented  with  the  most 
costly  jewels  in  the  whole  world.  To  these  she 
added  a  beautiful  pair  of  glass  slippers,  and  bade 
her  set  out  for  the  palace.  The  fairy,  however,  be- 
fore she  took  leave  of  Cinderella,  strictly  charged 
her  on  no  account  whatever  to  stay  at  the  ball  after 


Cinderella;  or,  The  Little  Glass  Slipper     217 

the  clock  had  struck  twelve,  telling  her  that,  should 
she  stay  but  a  single  moment  after  that  time,  her 
coach  would  again  become  a  pumpkin,  her  horses 
mice,  her  footmen  lizards,  and  her  fine  clothes  be 
changed  to  filthy  rags.  Cinderella  did  not  fail  to 
promise  all  her  godmother  desired  of  her ;  and  al- 
most wild  with  joy  drove  away  to  the  palace.  As 
soon  as  she  arrived,  the  king's  son,  who  had  been 
informed  that  a  great  princess,  whom  nobody  knew, 
was  come  to  the  ball,  presented  himself  at  the  door 
of  her  carriage,  helped  her  out,  and  conducted  her  to 
the  ball  room.  Cinderella  no  sooner  appeared  than 
every  one  was  silent ;  both  the  dancing  and  the  music 
stopped,  and  every  body  was  employed  in  gazing  at 
the  uncommon  beauty  of  this  unknown  stranger. 
Nothing  was  heard  but  whispers  of  "How  handsome 
she  is !  "  The  king  himself,  old  as  he  was,  could  not 
keep  his  eyes  from  her,  and  continually  repeated  to 
the  queen,  that  it  was  a  long  time  since  he  had  seen 
so  lovely  a  creature.  The  ladies  endeavoured  to  find 
out  how  her  clothes  were  made,  that  they  might  get 
some  of  the  same  pattern  for  themselves  by  the  next 
day,  should  they  be  lucky  enough  to  meet  with  such 
handsome  materials,  and  such  good  work-people  to 
make  them. 

The  king's  son  conducted  her  to  the  most  honour- 
able seat,  and  soon  after  took  her  out  to  dance  with 
him.  She  both  moved  and  danced  so  gracefully,  that 
every  one  admired  her  still  more  than  before,  and 
she  was  thought  the  most  beautiful  and  accom- 
plished lady  they  ever  beheld.  After  some  time  a 
delicious  collation  was  served  up ;  but  the  young 
prince  was  so  busily  employed  in  looking  at  her, 


218    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

that  he  did  not  eat  a  morsel.  Cinderella  seated  her- 
self near  her  sisters,  paid  them  a  thousand  attentions, 
and  offered  them  a  part  of  the  oranges  and  sweet- 
meats with  which  the  prince  had  presented  her,  while 
they  on  their  part  were  quite  astonished  at  these 
civilities  from  a  lady  whom  they  did  not  know.  As 
they  were  conversing  together,  Cinderella  heard  the 
clock  strike  eleven  and  three  quarters.  She  rose 
from  her  seat,  curtesied  to  the  company,  and  hast- 
ened away  as  fast  as  she  could.  As  soon  as  she  got 
home  she  flew  to  her  godmother,  and,  after  thank- 
ing her  a  thousand  times,  told  her  she  would  give 
the  world  to  be  able  to  go  again  to  the  ball  the  next 
day,  for  the  king's  son  had  entreated  her  to  be  there. 
While  she  was  telling  her  godmother  every  thing 
that  had  happened  to  her  at  the  ball,  the  two  sisters 
knocked  a  loud  rat-tat-tat  at  the  door ;  which  Cinder- 
ella opened.  "  How  late  you  have  stayed !  "  said  she, 
yawning,  rubbing  her  eyes,  and  stretching  herself, 
as  if  just  awakened  out  of  her  sleep,  though  she 
had  in  truth  felt  no  desire  for  sleep  since  they  left 
her.  "  If  you  had  been  at  the  ball,"  said  one  of  her 
sisters,  "  let  me  tell  you,  you  would  not  have  been 
sleepy.  There  came  thither  the  handsomest,  yes, 
the  very  handsomest  princess  ever  beheld !  She  paid 
us  a  thousand  attentions,  and  made  us  take  a  part 
of  the  oranges  and  sweetmeats  the  prince  had  given 
her.  Cinderella  could  scarcely  contain  herself  for 
joy:  she  asked  her  sisters  the  name  of  this  princess, 
to  which  they  replied,  that  nobody  had  been  able 
to  discover  who  she  was ;  that  the  king's  son  was 
extremely  grieved  on  that  account,  and  had  offered 
a  large  reward  to  any  person  who  could  find  out 


Cinderella;  or,  The  Little  Glass  Slipper     219 

where  she  came  from.  Cinderella  smiled,  and  said : 
"  How  very  beautiful  she  must  be !  How  fortunate 
you  are !  Ah,  could  I  but  see  her  for  a  single  mo- 
ment! Dear  Miss  Charlotte,  lend  me  only  the  yel- 
low gown  you  wear  every  day,  and  let  me  go  to  see 
her."  "  Oh !  yes,  I  warrant  you ;  lend  my  clothes  to 
a  Cinderbreech !  Do  you  really  suppose  me  such  a 
fool?  No,  no;  pray,  Miss  Forward,  mind  your 
proper  business,  and  leave  dress  and  balls  to  your 
betters."  Cinderella  expected  some  such  answer, 
and  was  by  no  means  sorry,  for  she  would  have  been 
sadly  at  a  loss  what  to  do  if  her  sister  had  lent  her 
the  clothes  that  she  asked  of  her. 

The  next  day  the  two  sisters  again  appeared  at 
the  ball,  and  so  did  Cinderella,  but  dressed  much 
more  magnificently  than  the  night  before.  The 
king's  son  was  continually  by  her  side,  and  said  the 
most  obliging  things  imaginable  to  her.  The  charm- 
ing young  creature  was  far  from  being  tired  of  all 
the  agreeable  things  she  met  with.  On  the  con- 
trary, she  was  so  delighted  with  them  that  she  en- 
tirely forgot  the  charge  her  godmother  had  givqn 
her.  Cinderella  at  last  heard  the  striking  of  a 
clock,  and  counted  one,  two,  three,  on  till  she  came 
to  twelve,  though  she  thought  that  it  could  be  but 
eleven  at  most.  She  got  up  and  flew  as  nimbly  as 
a  deer  out  of  the  ball-room.  The  prince  tried  to 
overtake  her ;  but  poor  Cinderella's  fright  made  her 
run  the  faster.  However,  in  her  great  hurry,  she 
dropped  one  of  her  glass  slippers  from  her  foot, 
which  the  prince  stooped  down  and  picked  up,  and 
took  the  greatest  care  of  it  possible.  Cinderella  got 
home  tired  and  out  of  breath,  in  her  old  clothes, 


220    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

without  either  coach  or  footmen,  and  having  nothing 
left  of  her  magnificence  but  the  fellow  of  the  glass 
slipper  which  she  had  dropped.  In  the  mean  while, 
the  prince  had  inquired  of  all  his  guards  at  the  pal- 
ace gates,  if  they  had  not  seen  a  magnificent  princess 
pass  out,  and  which  way  she  went  ?  The  guards  re- 
plied, that  no  princess  had  passed  the  gates;  and 
that  they  had  not  seen  a  creature  but  a  little  ragged 
girl,  who  looked  more  like  a  beggar  than  a  princess. 
When  the  two  sisters  returned  from  the  ball,  Cin- 
derella asked  them  if  they  had  been  as  much  amused 
as  the  night  before,  and  if  the  beautiful  princess  had 
been  there?  They  told  her  that  she  had;  but  that 
as  soon  as  the  clock  struck  twelve,  she  hurried  away 
from  the  ball  room,  and  in  the  great  haste  she  had 
made,  had  dropped  one  of  her  glass  slippers,  which 
was  the  prettiest  shape  that  could  be ;  that  the  king's 
son  had  picked  it  up,  and  had  done  nothing  but  look 
at  it  all  the  rest  of  the  evening ;  and  that  every  body 
believed  he  was  violently  in  love  with  the  handsome 
lady  to  whom  it  belonged. 

This  was  very  true;  for  a  few  days  after,  the 
prince  had  it  proclaimed,  by  sound  of  trumpet,  that 
he  would  marry  the  lady  whose  foot  should  exactly 
fit  the  slipper  he  had  found.  Accordingly  the 
prince's  messengers  took  the  slipper,  and  carried  it 
first  to  all  the  princesses,  then  to  the  duchesses,  in 
short,  to  all  the  ladies  of  the  court.  But  without 
success.  They  then  brought  it  to  the  two  sisters, 
who  each  tried  all  she  could  to  squeeze  her  foot  into 
the  slipper,  but  saw  at  last  that  this  was  quite  im- 
possible. Cinderella  who  was  looking  at  them  all 
the  while,  and  knew  her  slipper,  could  not  help  smil- 


Cinderella;  or,  The  Little  Glass  Slipper     221 

ing,  and  ventured  to  say,  "  Pray,  sir,  let  me  try  to 
get  on  the  slipper."  The  gentleman  made  her  sit 
down  ;  and  putting  the  slipper  to  her  foot,  it  instantly 
slipped  in,  and  he  saw  that  it  fitted  her  like  wax. 
The  two  sisters  were  amazed  to  see  that  the  slipper 
fitted  Cinderella;  but  how  much  greater  was  their 
astonishment  when  she  drew  out  of  her  pocket  the 
other  slipper  and  put  it  on !  Just  at  this  moment  the 
fairy  entered  the  room,  and  touching  Cinderella's 
clothes  with  her  wand,  made  her  all  at  once  appear 
more  magnificently  dressed  than  they  had  ever  seen 
her  before. 

The  two  sisters  immediately  perceived  that  she 
was  the  beautiful  princess  they  had  seen  at  the  ball. 
They  threw  themselves  at  her  feet,  and  asked  her 
forgiveness  for  the  ill  treatment  she  had  received 
from  them.  Cinderella  helped  them  to  rise,  and,  ten- 
derly embracing  them,  said  that  she  forgave  them 
with  all  her  heart,  and  begged  them  to  bestow  on 
her  their  affection.  Cinderella  was  then  conducted, 
dressed  as  she  was,  to  the  young  prince,  who  find- 
ing her  more  beautiful  than  ever,  instantly  desired 
her  to  accept  of  his  hand.  The  marriage  ceremony 
took  place  in  a  few  days ;  and  Cinderella,  who  was 
as  amiable  as  she  was  handsome,  gave  her  sisters 
magnificent  apartments  in  the  palace,  and  a  short 
time  after  married  them  to  two  great  lords  of  the 
court. 


CHAPTER   XV 


PUSS  IN  BOOTS 


There  was  a  miller  who  had  three  sons,  and  when 
he  died  he  divided  what  he  possessed  among  them 
in  the  following  manner:  He  gave  his  mill  to  the 
eldest,  his  ass  to  the  second,  and  his  cat  to  the 
youngest.  Each  of  the  brothers  accordingly  took 
what  belonged  to  him,  without  the  help  of  an  at- 
torney, who  would  soon  have  brought  their  little 
fortune  to  nothing,  in  law  expenses.  The  poor 
young  fellow  who  had  nothing  but  the  cat,  com- 
plained that  he  was  hardly  used :  "  My  brothers," 
said  he,  "  by  joining  their  stocks  together,  may  do 
well  in  the  world,  but  for  me,  when  I  have  eaten 
my  cat,  and  made  a  fur  cap  of  his  skin,  I  may  soon 
die  of  hunger !  "  The  cat,  who  all  this  time  sat 
listening  just  inside  the  door  of  a  cupboard,  now 
ventured  to  come  out  and  addressed  him  as  fol- 
lows :  "  Do  not  thus  afflict  yourself,  my  good  mas- 
ter. You  have  only  to  give  me  a  bag,  and  get  a  pair 
of  boots  made  for  me,  so  that  I  may  scamper 
through  the  dirt  and  the  brambles,  and  you  shall 
see  that  you  are  not  so  ill  provided  for  as  you 
imagine."  Though  the  cat's  master  did  not  much 
depend  upon  these  promises,  yet,  as  he  had  often 
observed  the  cunning  tricks  puss  used  to  catch  the 


Puss  in  Boots  223 

rats  and  mice,  such  as  hanging  upon  his  hind  legs, 
and  hiding  in  the  meal  to  make  believe  that  he  was 
dead,  he  did  not  entirely  despair  of  his  being  of 
some  use  to  him  in  his  unhappy  condition. 

When  the  cat  had  obtained  what  he  asked  for,  he 
gayly  began  to  equip  himself :  he  drew  on  his  boots ; 
and  putting  the  bag  about  his  neck,  he  took  hold 
of  the  strings  with  his  fore  paws,  and  bidding  his 
master  take  courage,  immediately  sallied  forth.  The 
first  attempt  Puss  made  was  to  go  into  a  warren 
in  which  there  were  a  great  number  of  rabbits.  He 
put  some  bran  and  some  parsley  into  his  bag;  and 
then  stretching  himself  out  at  full  length  as  if  he 
was  dead,  he  waited  for  some  young  rabbits,  who 
as  yet  knew  nothing  of  the  cunning  tricks  of  the 
world,  to  come  and  get  into  the  bag,  the  better  to 
feast  upon  the  dainties  he  had  put  into  it.  Scarcely 
had  he  lain  down  before  he  succeeded  as  well  as 
could  be  wished.  A  giddy  young  rabbit  crept  into 
the  bag,  and  the  cat  immediately  drew  the  strings, 
and  killed  him  without  mercy.  Puss,  proud  of  his 
prey,  hastened  directly  to  the  palace,  where  he  asked 
to  speak  to  the  king.  On  being  shown  into  the 
apartment  of  his  majesty,  he  made  a  low  bow,  and 
said,  "  I  have  brought  you,  sire,  this  rabbit  from 
the  warren  of  my  lord  the  marquis  of  Carabas,  who 
commanded  me  to  present  it  to  your  majesty  with 
the  assurance  of  his  respect."  (This  was  the  title 
the  cat  thought  proper  to  bestow  upon  his  mas- 
ter.) "  Tell  my  lord  marquis  of  Carabas,"  replied 
the  king,  "  that  I  accept  of  his  present  with  pleas- 
ure, and  that  I  am  greatly  obliged  to  him."  Soon 
after,  the  cat  laid  himself  down  in  the  same  manner 


224    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

in  a  field  of  corn,  and  had  as  much  good  fortune  as 
before;  for  two  fine  partridges  got  into  his  bag, 
which  he  immediately  killed  and  carried  to  the  pal- 
ace :  the  king  received  them  as  he  had  done  the  rab- 
bit, and  ordered  his  servants  to  give  the  messenger 
something  to  drink.  In  this  manner  he  continued 
to  carry  presents  of  game  to  the  king  from  my  lord 
marquis  of  Carabas,  once  at  least  in  every  week. 

One  day,  the  cat  having  heard  that  the  king  in- 
tended to  take  a  ride  that  morning  by  the  river's  side 
with  his  daughter,  who  was  the  most  beautiful  prin- 
cess in  the  world,  he  said  to  his  master :  "  If  you 
will  but  follow  my  advice,  your  fortune  is  made. 
Take  off  your  clothes,  and  bathe  yourself  in  the 
river,  just  in  the  place  I  shall  show  you,  and  leave 
the  rest  to  me."  The  marquis  of  Carabas  did  ex- 
actly as  he  was  desired,  without  being  able  to  guess 
at  what  the  cat  intended.  While  he  was  bathing  the 
king  passed  by,  and  puss  directly  called  out  as  loud 
as  he  could  bawl :  "  Help !  help !  My  lord  marquis 
of  Carabas  is  in  danger  of  being  drowned !  "  The 
king  hearing  the  cries,  put  his  head  out  at  the  win- 
dow of  his  carriage  to  see  what  was  the  matter : 
when,  perceiving  the  very  cat  who  had  brought  him 
so  many  presents,  he  ordered  his  attendants  to  go 
directly  to  the  assistance  of  my  lord  marquis  of 
Carabas.  While  they  were  employed  in  taking  the 
marquis  out  of  the  river,  the  cat  ran  to  the  king's 
carriage,  and  told  his  majesty,  that  while  his  master 
was  bathing,  some  thieves  had  run  off  with  his 
clothes  as  they  lay  by  the  river's  side;  the  cunning 
cat  all  the  time  having  hid  them  under  a  large 
stone.    The  king:  hearing  this,  commanded  the  offi- 


Puss  in  Boots  225 

cers  of  his  wardrobe  to  fetch  one  of  the  handsomest 
suits  it  contained,  and  present  it  to  my  lord  marquis 
of  Carabas,  at  the  same  time  loading  him  with  a 
thousand  attentions.  As  the  fine  clothes  they 
brought  him  made  him  look  like  a  gentleman,  and 
set  off  his  person,  which  was  very  comely,  to  the 
greatest  advantage,  the  king's  daughter  was  mightily 
taken  with  his  appearance,  and  the  marquis  of 
Carabas  had  no  sooner  cast  upon  her  two  or  three 
respectful  glances,  then  she  became  violently  in  love 
with  him. 

The  king  insisted  on  his  getting  into  the  carriage 
and  taking  a  ride  with  them.  The  cat,  enchanted 
to  see  how  well  his  scheme  was  likely  to  succeed, 
ran  before  to  a  meadow  that  was  reaping,  and  said 
to  the  reapers :  "  Good  people,  if  you  do  not  tell  the 
king,  who  will  soon  pass  this  way,  that  the  meadow 
you  are  reaping  belongs  to  my  lord  marquis  of 
Carabas,  you  shall  be  chopped  as  small  as  mince 
meat."  The  king  did  not  fail  to  ask  the  reapers  to 
whom  the  meadow  belonged  ?  "  To  my  lord  mar- 
quis of  Carabas,"  said  they  all  at  once;  for  the 
threats  of  the  cat  had  terribly  frighted  them.  "  You 
have  here  a  very  fine  piece  of  land,  my  lord 
marquis,"  said  the  king.  "  Truly,  sire,"  replied  he, 
"  it  does  not  fail  to  bring  me  every  year  a  plentiful 
harvest."  The  cat  who  still  went  on  before,  now 
came  to  a  field  where  some  other  labourers  were 
making  sheaves  of  the  corn  they  had  reaped,  to 
whom  he  said  as  before :  "  Good  people,  if  you  do 
not  tell  the  king  who  will  presently  pass  this  way, 
that  the  corn  you  have  reaped  in  this  field  belongs 
to  my  lord  marquis  of  Carabas,  you  shall  be  chopped 


226     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

as  small  as  mince  meat."  The  king  accordingly 
passed  a  moment  after,  and  inquired  to  whom  the 
corn  he  saw  belonged  ?  "  To  my  lord  maquis  of 
Carabas,"  answered  they  very  glibly;  upon  which 
the  king  again  complimented  the  marquis  upon  his 
noble  possessions.  The  cat  still  continued  to  go  be- 
fore, and  gave  the  same  charge  to  all  the  people  he 
met  with;  so  that  the  king  was  greatly  astonished 
at  the  splendid  fortune  of  my  lord  marquis  of  Car- 
abas.  Puss  at  length  arrived  at  a  stately  castle, 
which  belonged  to  an  Ogre,  the  richest  ever  known ; 
for  all  the  lands  the  king  had  passed  through  and  ad- 
mired were  his.  The  cat  took  care  to  learn  every 
particular  about  the  Ogre,  and  what  he  could  do, 
and  then  asked  to  speak  with  him,  saying,  as  he 
entered  the  room  in  which  he  was,  that  he  could  not 
pass  so  near  his  castle  without  doing  himself  the 
honour  to  inquire  after  his  health.  The  Ogre  re- 
ceived him  as  civilly  as  an  Ogre  could  do,  and  de- 
sired him  to  be  seated.  "  I  have  been  informed," 
said  the  cat,  "  that  you  have  the  gift  of  changing 
yourself  to  all  sorts  of  animals;  into  a  lion  or  an 
elephant  for  example."  "  It  is  very  true,"  replied  the 
Ogre  somewhat  sternly ;  "  and  to  convince  you  I 
will  directly  take  the  form  of  a  lion."  The  cat  was 
so  much  terrified  at  finding  himself  so  near  to  a  lion, 
that  he  sprang  from  him,  and  climbed  to  the  roof  of 
the  house;  but  not  without  much  difficulty,  as  his 
boots  were  not  very  fit  to  walk  upon  the  tiles. 

Some  minutes  after,  the  cat  perceiving  that  the 
Ogre  had  quitted  the  form  of  a  lion,  ventured  to 
come  down  from  the  tiles,  and  owned  that  he  had 
been  a  good  deal  frightened.    "  I  have  been  further 


Puss  in  Boots  227 

informed," continued  the  cat, "but  I  know  not  how  to 
believe  it,  that  you  have  the  power  of  taking  the  form 
of  the  smallest  animals  also ;  for  example  of  chang- 
ing yourself  to  a  rat  or  a  mouse :  I  confess  I  should 
think  this  impossible."  "  Impossible !  you  shall 
see ;  "  and  at  the  same  instant  he  changed  himself 
into  a  mouse,  and  began  to  frisk  about  the  room. 
The  cat  no  sooner  cast  his  eyes  upon  the  Ogre  in 
this  form,  than  he  sprang  upon  him  and  devoured 
him  in  an  instant.  In  the  meantime  the  king,  ad- 
miring as  he  came  near  it,  the  magnificent  castle  of 
the  Ogre,  ordered  his  attendants  to  drive  up  to  the 
gates,  as  he  wished  to  take  a  nearer  view  of  it.  The 
cat,  hearing  the  noise  of  the  carriage  on  the  draw- 
bridge, immediately  came  out,  saying:  "Your 
majesty  is  welcome  to  the  castle  of  my  lord  marquis 
of  Carabas."  "  And  is  this  splendid  castle  yours 
also,  my  lord  marquis  of  Carabas?  I  never  saw 
anything  more  stately  than  the  building,  or  more 
beautiful  than  the  park  and  pleasure  grounds 
around  it ;  no  doubt  the  castle  is  no  less  magnificent 
within  than  without :  pray,  my  lord  marquis,  indulge 
me  with  a  sight  of  it." 

The  marquis  gave  his  hand  to  the  young  princess 
as  she  alighted,  and  followed  the  king  who  went  be- 
fore ;  they  entered  a  spacious  hall,  where  they  found 
a  splendid  collation  which  the  Ogre  had  prepared  for 
some  friends  he  had  that  day  expected  to  visit  him ; 
but  who,  hearing  that  the  king  with  the  princess 
and  a  great  gentleman  of  the  court  were  within,  had 
not  dared  to  enter.  The  king  was  so  much  charmed 
with  the  amiable  qualities  and  noble  fortune  of  the 
marquis  of  Carabas,  and  the  young  princess  too  had 


228    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

fallen  so  violently  in  love  with  him,  that  when  the 
king  had  partaken  of  the  collation,  and  drunk  a  few 
glasses  of  wine,  he  said  to  the  marquis :  "  It  will  be 
you  own  fault,  my  lord  marquis  of  Carabas,  if  you 
do  not  soon  become  my  son-in-law."  The  marquis 
received  the  intelligence  with  a  thousand  respectful 
acknowledgments,  accepted  the  honour  conferred 
upon  him,  and  married  the  princess  that  very  day\ 
The  cat  became  a  great  lord,  and  never  after  ran 
after  rats  and  mice  but  for  his  amusement. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

THE   SLEEPING  BEAUTY   IN   THE   WOOD 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  king  and  a  queen 
who  grieved  sorely  that  they  had  no  children.  When 
at  last  the  queen  gave  birth  to  a  daughter  the  king 
was  so  overjoyed  that  he  gave  a  great  christening 
feast,  the  like  of  which  had  never  before  been 
known.  He  asked  all  the  fairies  in  the  land — there 
were  seven  all  told — to  stand  godmothers  to  the 
little  princess,  hoping  that  each  might  give  her  a  gift, 
and  so  she  should  have  all  imaginable  perfections. 

After  the  christening,  all  the  company  returned  to 
the  palace,  where  a  great  feast  had  been  spread  for 
the  fair)7  godmothers.  Before  each  was  set  a  mag- 
nificent plate,  with  a  gold  knife  and  a  gold  fork 
studded  with  diamonds  and  rubies.  Just  as  they 
were  seating  themselves,  however,  there  entered  an 
old  fairy  who  had  not  been  invited  because  more 
than  fifty  years  ago  she  had  shut  herself  up  in  a 
tower  and  it  was  supposed  that  she  was  either  dead 
or  enchanted. 

The  king  ordered  a  cover  to  be  laid  for  her,  but 
it  could  not  be  a  massive  gold  one  like  the  others, 
for  only  seven  had  been  ordered  made.  The  old 
fairy  thought  herself  ill-used  and  muttered  between 
her  teeth.     One  of  the  young  fairies,  overhearing 


23 o    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

her,  and  fancying  she  might  work  some  mischief  to 
the  little  baby,  went  and  hid  herself  behind  the  hang- 
ings in  the  hall,  so  as  to  be  able  to  have  the  last 
word  and  undo  any  harm  the  old  fairy  might  wish  to 
work.  The  fairies  now  began  to  endow  the  princess. 
The  youngest,  for  her  gift,  decreed  that  she  should 
be  the  most  beautiful  person  in  the  world ;  the  next 
that  she  should  have  the  mind  of  an  angel ;  the  third 
that  she  should  be  perfectly  graceful;  the  fourth 
that  she  should  dance  admirably  well ;  the  fifth,  that 
she  should  sing  like  a  nightingale;  the  sixth,  that 
she  should  play  charmingly  upon  every  musical  in- 
strument. The  turn  of  the  old  fairy  had  now  come, 
and  she  declared,  while  her  head  shook  with  malice, 
that  the  princess  should  pierce  her  hand  with  a  spin- 
dle and  die  of  the  wound.  This  dreadful  fate  threw 
all  the  company  into  tears  of  dismay,  when  the 
young  fairy  who  had  hidden  herself  came  forward 
and  said: 

"  Be  of  good  cheer,  king  and  queen ;  your  daugh- 
ter shall  not  so  die.  It  is  true  I  cannot  entirely  undo 
what  my  elder  has  done.  The  princess  will  pierce 
her  hand  with  a  spindle,  but,  instead  of  dying,  she 
will  only  fall  into  a  deep  sleep.  The  sleep  will  last 
a  hundred  years,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  a  king's 
son  will  come  to  wake  her." 

The  king,  in  hopes  of  preventing  what  the  old 
fairy  had  foretold,  immediately  issued  an  edict  by 
which  he  forbade  all  persons  in  his  dominion  from 
spinning  or  even  having  spindles  in  their  houses 
under  pain  of  instant  death. 

Now  fifteen  years  after  the  princess  was  born  she 
was  with  the  king  and  queen  at  one  of  their  castles, 


The  Sleeping  Beauty  in  the  Wood        231 

and  as  she  was  running  about  by  herself  she  came 
to  a  little  chamber  at  the  top  of  a  tower,  and  there 
sat  an  honest  old  woman  spinning,  for  she  had  never 
heard  of  the  king's  edict. 

"  What  are  you  doing?  "  asked  the  princess. 

"  I  am  spinning,  my  fair  child,"  said  the  old 
woman,  who  did  not  know  her. 

"  How  pretty  it  is ! "  exclaimed  the  princess. 
"  How  do  you  do  it  ?  Give  it  to  me  that  I  may  see 
if  I  can  do  it."  She  had  no  sooner  taken  up  the 
spindle,  than,  being  hasty  and  careless,  she  pierced 
her  hand  with  the  point  of  it,  and  fainted  away.  The 
old  woman,  in  great  alarm,  called  for  help.  People 
came  running  in  from  all  sides ;  they  threw  water 
in  the  princess's  face  and  did  all  they  could  to  re- 
store her,  but  nothing  would  bring  her  to.  The 
king,  who  had  heard  the  noise  and  confusion,  came 
up  also,  and  remembering  what  the  fairy  had  said, 
he  had  the  princess  carried  to  the  finest  apartment 
and  laid  upon  a  richly  embroidered  bed.  She  lay 
there  in  all  her  loveliness,  for  the  swoon  had  not 
made  her  pale;  her  lips  were  cherry-ripe  and  her 
cheeks  ruddy  and  fair ;  her  eyes  were  closed,  but 
they  could  hear  her  breathing  quietly ;  she  could  not 
be  dead.  The  king  looked  sorrowfully  upon  her. 
He  knew  that  she  would  not  awake  for  a  hundred 
years. 

The  good  fairy  who  had  saved  her  life  and  turned 
her  death  into  sleep  was  in  the  kingdom  of  Mata- 
quin,  twelve  thousand  leagues  away,  when  this  hap- 
pened, but  she  learned  of  it  from  a  dwarf  who  had 
a  pair  of  seven-league  boots,  and  instantly  set  out 
for  the  castle,  where  she  arrived  in  an  hour,  drawn 


2$2    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

by  dragons  in  a  fiery  chariot.  The  king  came  for- 
ward to  receive  her  and  showed  his  grief.  The  good 
fairy  was  very  wise  and  saw  that  the  princess  when 
she  woke  would  find  herself  all  alone  in  that  great 
castle  and  everything  about  her  would  be  strange.  So 
this  is  what  she  did.  She  touched  with  her  wand 
everybody  that  was  in  the  castle,  except  the  king 
and  queen.  She  touched  the  governesses,  maids  of 
honour,  women  of  the  bed-chamber,  gentlemen,  offi- 
cers, stewards,  cooks,  scullions,  boys,  guards,  por- 
ters, pages,  footmen;  she  touched  the  horses  in  the 
stable  with  their  grooms,  the  great  mastiffs  in  the 
court-yard,  and  even  little  Pouste,  the  tiny  lap-dog 
of  the  princess  that  was  on  the  bed  beside  her.  As 
soon  as  she  had  touched  them  they  all  fell  asleep, 
not  to  wake  again  until  the  time  arrived  for  their 
mistress  to  do  so,  when  they  would  be  ready  to  wait 
upon  her.  Even  the  spits  before  the  fire,  laden  with 
partridges  and  pheasants,  went  to  sleep,  and  the 
fire  itself  went  to  sleep  also. 

It  was  the  work  of  a  moment.  The  king  and 
queen  kissed  their  daughter  farewell  and  left  the 
castle,  issuing  a  proclamation  that  no  person  what- 
soever was  to  approach  it.  That  was  needless,  for 
in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  there  had  grown  up  about  it 
a  wood  so  thick  and  filled  with  thorns  that  nothing 
could  get  at  the  castle,  and  the  castle  top  itself 
could  only  be  seen  from  a  great  distance. 

A  hundred  years  went  by,  and  the  kingdom  was 
in  the  hands  of  another  royal  family.  The  son  of 
the  king  was  hunting  one  day  when  he  discovered 
the  towers  of  the  castle  above  the  tops  of  the  trees, 
and  asked  what  castle  that  was.     All  manner  of 


The  Sleeping  Beauty  in  the  Wood        233 

answers  were  given  to  him.  One  said  it  was  an  en- 
chanted castle,  another  that  witches  lived  there,  but 
most  believed  that  it  was  occupied  by  a  great  ogre 
which  carried  thither  all  the  children  he  could  catch 
and  ate  them  up  one  at  a  time,  for  nobody  could  get 
at  him  through  the  wood.  The  prince  did  not  know 
what  to  believe,  when  finally  an  old  peasant  said : 

"  Prince,  it  is  more  than  fifty  years  since  I  heard 
my  father  say  that  there  was  in  that  castle  the  most 
beautiful  princess  that  ever  was  seen ;  that  she  was 
to  sleep  for  a  hundred  years,  and  to  be  awakened  at 
last  by  the  king's  son,  who  was  to  marry  her." 

The  young  prince  at  these  words  felt  himself  on 
fire.  He  had  not  a  moment's  doubt  that  he  was  des- 
tined to  this  great  adventure,  and  full  of  ardour  he 
determined  at  once  to  set  out  for  the  castle.  Scarcely 
had  he  come  to  the  wood  when  all  the  trees  and 
thorns  which  had  made  such  an  impenetrable  thicket 
opened  on  one  side  and  the  other  to  offer  him  a  path. 
He  walked  toward  the  castle,  which  appeared  now 
at  the  end  of  a  long  avenue,  but  when  he  turned  to 
look  for  his  followers  not  one  was  to  be  seen ;  the 
woods  had  closed  instantly  upon  him  as  he  had 
passed  through.  He  was  entirely  alone,  and  utter 
silence  was  about  him.  He  entered  a  large  fore- 
court and  stood  still  with  amazement  and  awe.  On 
every  side  were  stretched  the  bodies  of  men  and  ani- 
mals apparently  lifeless.  But  the  faces  of  the  men 
were  rosy,  and  the  goblets  by  them  had  a  few  drops 
of  wine  left.  The  men  had  plainly  fallen  asleep. 
His  steps  resounded  as  he  passed  over  the  marble 
pavement  and  up  the  marble  staircase.  He  entered 
the  guard-room;  there  the  guards  stood  drawn  up  in 


334     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

line  with  carbines  at  their  shoulders,  but  they  were 
sound  asleep.  He  passed  through  one  apartment 
after  another,  where  were  ladies  and  gentlemen 
asleep  in  their  chairs  or  standing.  He  entered  a 
chamber  covered  with  gold,  and  saw  on  a  bed,  the 
curtains  of  which  were  drawn,  the  most  lovely  sight 
he  had  ever  looked  upon — a  princess,  who  appeared 
to  be  about  fifteen  or  sixteen,  and  so  fair  that  she 
seemed  to  belong  to  another  world.  He  drew  near, 
trembling  and  wondering,  and  knelt  beside  her. 
Her  hand  lay  upon  her  breast,  and  he  touched  his 
lips  to  it.  At  that  moment,  the  enchantment  being 
ended,  the  princess  awoke,  and,  looking  drowsily 
and  tenderly  at  the  young  man,  said  : 

"  Have  you  come,  my  prince  ?  I  have  waited  long 
for  you."  The  prince  was  overjoyed  at  the  words, 
and  at  the  tender  voice  and  look,  and  scarcely  knew 
how  to  speak.  But  he  managed  to  assure  her  of  his 
love,  and  they  soon  forgot  all  else  as  they  talked  and 
talked.  They  talked  for  four  hours,  and  had  not 
then  said  half  that  was  in  their  heads  to  say. 

Meanwhile  all  the  rest  of  the  people  in  the  castle 
had  been  wakened  at  the  same  moment  as  the  prin- 
cess, and  they  were  now  extremely  hungry.  The 
lady-in-waiting  became  very  impatient,  and  at 
length  announced  to  the  princess  that  they  all  waited 
for  her.  Then  the  prince  took  the  princess  by  the 
hand;  she  was  dressed  in  great  splendour,  but  he 
did  not  hint  that  she  looked  as  he  had  seen  pictures 
of  his  great-grandmother  look;  he  thought  her  all 
the  more  charming  for  that.  They  passed  into  a 
hall  of  mirrors,  where  they  supped,  attended  by  the 
officers  of  the  princess.    The  violins  and  haut-boys 


The  Sleeping  Beauty  in  the  Wood        235 

played  old  but  excellent  pieces  of  music,  and  after 
supper,  to  lose  no  time,' the  grand  almoner  married 
the  royal  lovers  in  the  chapel  of  the  castle. 

When  they  left  the  castle  the  next  day  to  return  to 
the  prince's  home,  they  were  followed  by  all  the 
retinue  of  the  princess.  They  marched  down  the 
long  avenue,  and  the  wood  opened  again  to  let  them 
pass.  Outside  they  met  the  prince's  followers,  who 
were  overjoyed  to  see  their  master.  He  turned  to 
show  them  the  castle,  but  behold !  there  was  no  cas- 
tle to  be  seen,  and  no  wood;  castle  and  wood  had 
vanished,  but  the  prince  and  princess  went  gayly 
away,  and  when  the  old  king  and  queen  died  they 
reigned  in  their  stead. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

JACK   AND   THE   BEAN-STALK 

In  the  days  of  King  Alfred,  there  lived  a  poor 
woman  whose  cottage  was  situated  in  a  remote 
country  village,  a  great  many  miles  from  London. 
She  had  been  a  widow. some  years,  and  had  an  only 
child  named  Jack,  whom  she  indulged  to  a  fault. 
The  consequence  of  her  blind  partiality  was,  that 
Jack  did  not  pay  the  least  attention  to  any  thing  she 
said,  but  was  indolent,  careless,  and  extravagant. 
His  follies  were  not  owing  to  a  bad  disposition,  but 
that  his  mother  had  never  checked  him.  By  degrees 
she  disposed  of  all  she  possessed — scarcely  any 
thing  remained  but  a  cow.  The  poor  woman  one 
day  met  Jack  with  tears  in  her  eyes;  her  distress 
was  great,  and  for  the  first  time  in  her  life  she 
could  not  help  reproaching  him,  saying,  "  Oh !  you 
wicked  child,  by  your  ungrateful  course  of  life  you 
have  at  last  brought  me  to  beggary  and  ruin. 
Cruel,  cruel  boy!  I  have  not  money  enough  to 
purchase  even  a  bit  of  bread  for  another  day — 
nothing  now  remains  to  sell  but  my  poor  cow!  I 
am  sorry  to  part  with  her;  it  grieves  me  sadly, 
but  we  must  not  starve."  For  a  few  minutes,  Jack 
felt  a  degree  of  remorse,  but  it  was  soon  over,  and 
he  began  teasing  his  mother  to  let  him  sell  the  cow 
at  the  next  village,  so  much,  that  she  at  last  con- 


Jack  and  the  Bean-Stalk  237 

sented.  As  he  was  going  along,  he  met  a  butcher, 
who  inquired  why  he  was  driving  the  cow  from 
home?  Jack  replied,  he  was  going  to  sell  it.  The 
butcher  held  some  curious  beans  in  his  hat;  they 
were  of  various  colours,  and  attracted  Jack's  atten- 
tion. This  did  not  pass  unnoticed  by  the  butcher, 
who,  knowing  Jack's  easy  temper,  thought  now  was 
the  time  to  take  an  advantage  of  it;  and  determined 
not  to  let  slip  so  good  an  opportunity,  asked  what 
was  the  price  of  the  cow,  offering  at  the  same  time 
all  the  beans  in  his  hat  for  her.  The  silly  boy  could 
not  conceal  the  pleasure  he  felt  at  what  he  supposed 
so  great  an  offer,  the  bargain  was  struck  instantly, 
and  the  cow  exchanged  for  a  few  paltry  beans. 
Jack  made  the  best  of  his  way  home,  calling  aloud 
to  his  mother  before  he  reached  home,  thinking  to 
surprise  her. 

When  she  saw  the  beans,  and  heard  Jack's  ac- 
count, her  patience  quite  forsook  her.  She  kicked 
the  beans  away  in  a  passion — they  flew  in  all  direc- 
tions— some  were  scattered  in  the  garden.  Not 
having  any  thing  to  eat,  they  both  went  supper- 
less  to  bed.  Jack  woke  early  in  the  morning,  and 
seeing  something  uncommon  from  the  window  of 
his  bed-chamber,  ran  down  stairs  into  the  garden, 
where  he  soon  discovered  that  some  of  the  beans 
had  taken  root,  and  sprung  up  surprisingly :  the 
stalks  were  of  an  immense  thickness,  and  had  so 
entwined,  that  they  formed  a  ladder  nearly  like  a 
chain  in  appearance.  Looking  upward,  he  could  not 
discern  the  top,  it  appeared  to  be  lost  in  the  clouds : 
he  tried  it,  found  it  firm,  and  not  to  be  shaken.  He 
quickly  formed  the  resolution  of  endeavouring  to 


238     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

climb  up  to  the  top,  in  order  to  seek  his  fortune,  and 
ran  to  communicate  his  intention  to  his  mother,  not 
doubting  but  she  would  be  equally  pleased  with 
himself.  She  declared  he  should  not  go;  said  it 
would  break  her  heart  if  he  did — entreated,  and 
threatened — but  all  in  vain.  Jack  set  out,  and  after 
climbing  for  some  hours,  reached  the  top  of  the 
bean-stalk,  fatigued  and  quite  exhausted.  Looking 
around,  he  found  himself  in  a  strange  country;  it 
appeared  to  be  a  desert,  quite  barren,  not  a  tree, 
shrub,  house,  or  living  creature  to  be  seen ;  here  and 
there  were  scattered  fragments  of  stone;  and  at 
unequal  distances,  small  heaps  of  earth  were  loosely 
thrown  together. 

Jack  seated  himself  pensively  upon  a  block  of 
stone,  and  thought  of  his  mother — he  reflected  with 
sorrow  upon  his  disobedience  in  climbing  the  bean- 
stalk against  her  will;  and  concluded  that  he  must 
die  with  hunger.  However  he  walked  on,  hoping 
to  see  a  house  where  he  might  beg  something  to  eat 
and  drink ;  presently  a  handsome  young  woman  ap- 
peared at  a  distance :  as  she  approached,  Jack  could 
not  help  admiring  how  beautiful  and  lively  she 
looked;  she  was  dressed  in  the  most  elegant  manner, 
and  had  a  small  white  wand  in  her  hand,  on  the  top 
of  which  was  a  peacock  of  pure  gold.  While  Jack 
was  looking  with  great  surprise  at  this  charming 
female,  she  came  up  to  him,  and  with  a  smile  of  the 
most  bewitching  sweetness,  inquired  how  he  came 
there.  Jack  related  the  circumstance  of  the  bean- 
stalk. She  asked  him  if  he  recollected  his  father ;  he 
replied  he  did  not;  and  added,  there  must  be  some 
mystery  relating  to  him,  because  if  he  asked  his 


Jack  and  the  Bean-Stalk  239 

mother  who  his  father  was,  she  always  burst  into 
tears,  and  appeared  violently  agitated,  nor  did  she  re- 
cover herself  for  some  days  after;  one  thing,  how- 
ever, he  could  not  avoid  observing  upon  these  occa- 
sions, which  was  that  she  always  carefully  avoided 
answering  him,  and  even  seemed  afraid  of  speaking, 
as  if  there  was  some  secret  connected  with  his 
father's  history  which  she  must  not  disclose.  The 
young  woman  replied,  "  I  will  reveal  the  whole 
story;  your  mother  must  not.  But,  before  I  begin, 
I  require  a  solemn  promise  on  your  part  to  do  what 
I  command ;  I  am  a  fairy,  and  if  you  do  not  per- 
form exactly  what  I  desire,  you  will  be  destroyed." 
Jack  was  frightened  at  her  menaces,  but  promised 
to  fulfil  her  injunctions  exactly,  and  the  fairy  thus 
addressed  him : 

"  Your  father  was  a  rich  man,  his  disposition  re- 
markably benevolent :  he  was  very  good  to  the  poor, 
and  constantly  relieving  them.  He  made  it  a  rule 
never  to  let  a  day  pass  without  doing  good  to  some 
person.  On  one  particular  day  in  the  week,  he  kept 
open  house,  and  invited  only  those  who  were  re- 
duced and  had  lived  well.  He  always  presided  him- 
self, and  did  all  in  his  power  to  render  his  guests 
comfortable;  the  rich  and  the  great  were  not  in- 
vited. The  servants  were  zll  hapoy,  and  greatly  at- 
tached to  their  master  and  mistress.  Your  father, 
though  only  a  private  gentleman,  was  as  rich  as  a 
prince,  and  he  deserved  all  he  possessed,  for  he 
only  lived  to  do  good.  Such  a  ■man  was  soon  known 
and  talked  of.  A  giant  lived  h  great  many  miles 
off:  this  man  was  altogether  as  wicked  as  your 
father  was  good ;  he  was  in  his  heart  envious,  cove- 


240    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

tous,  and  cruel;  but  he  had  the  art  of  concealing 
those  vices.  He  was  poor,  and  wished  to  enrich 
himself  at  any  rate.  Hearing  your  father  spoken  of, 
he  formed  the  design  of  becoming  acquainted  with 
him,  hoping  to  ingratiate  himself  into  your  father's 
favour.  He  removed  quickly  into  your  neighbour- 
hood, caused  to  be  reported  that  he  was  a  gentle- 
man who  had  just  lost  all  he  possessed  by  an  earth- 
quake, and  found  it  difficult  to  escape  with  his 
life ;  his  wife  was  with  him.  Your  father  gave 
credit  to  his  story,  and  pitied  him,  gave  him  hand- 
some apartments  in  his  own  house,  and  caused  him 
and  his  wife  to  be  treated  like  visitors  of  conse- 
quence, little  imagining  that  the  giant  was  meditat- 
ing a  horrid  return  for  all  his  favours. 

"  Things  went  on  in  this  way  for  some  time,  the 
giant  becoming  daily  more  impatient  to  put  his  plan 
into  execution;  at  last  a  favourable  opportunity 
presented  itself.  Your  father's  house  was  at  some 
distance  from  the  seashore,  but  with  a  glass  the 
coast  could  be  seen  distinctly.  The  giant  was  one 
day  using  the  telescope;  the  wind  was  very  high; 
he  saw  a  fleet  of  ships  in  distress  off  the  rocks ;  he 
hastened  to  your  father,  mentioned  the  circum- 
stance, and  eagerly  requested  he  would  send  all  the 
servants  he  con'd  spare  to  relieve  the  sufferers. 
Every  one  was  instantly  despatched,  except  the 
porter  and  your  nurse;  the  giant  then  joined  your 
father  in  the  study,  and  appeared  to  be  delighted — 
he  really  was  so.  Your  father  recommended  a 
favourite  book,  and  was  branding  it  down :  the  giant 
took  the  opportunity,  and  stabbed  him ;  he  instantly 
fell  down  dead.    The  giant  left  the  body,  found  the 


Jack  and  the  Bean-Stalk  241 

porter  and  nurse,  and  presently  despatched  them ; 
being-  determined  to  have  no  living  witnesses  of  his 
crimes.  You  were  then  only  three  months  old : 
your  mother  had  you  in  her  arms  in  a  remote  part  of 
the  house,  and  was  ignorant  of  what  was  going  on ; 
she  went  into  the  study,  but  how  was  she  shocked, 
on  discovering  your  father  a  corpse,  and  weltering 
in  his  blood !  she  was  stupefied  with  horror  and 
grief,  and  was  motionless.  The  giant,  who  was 
seeking  her,  found  her  in  that  state,  and  hastened 
to  serve  her  and  you  as  he  had  done  her  husband, 
but  she  fell  at  his  feet,  and  in  a  pathetic  manner  be- 
sought him  to  spare  your  life  and  hers. 

"  Remorse,  for  a  moment,  seemed  to  touch  the 
barbarian's  heart:  he  granted  your  lives;  but  first 
he  made  her  take  a  most  solemn  oath,  never  to  in- 
form you  who  your  father  was,  or  to  answer  any 
questions  concerning  him :  assuring  her  that  if  she 
did,  he  would  certainly  discover  her,  and  put  both 
of  you  to  death  in  the  most  cruel  manner.  Your 
mother  took  you  in  her  arms,  and  fled  as  quickly  as 
possible ;  she  was  scarcely  gone  when  the  giant  re- 
pented that  he  had  suffered  her  to  escape.  He 
would  have  pursued  her  instantly ;  but  he  had  to 
provide  for  his  own  safety;  as  it  was  necessary  he 
should  be  gone  before  the  servants  returned.  Hav- 
ing gained  your  father's  confidence,  he  knew  where 
to  find  all  his  treasure :  he  soon  loaded  himself  and 
his  wife,  set  the  house  on  fire  in  several  places,  and 
when  the  servants  returned,  the  house  was  burned 
quite  down  to  the  ground.  Your  poor  mother,  for- 
lorn, abandoned,  and  forsaken,  wandered  with  you 
a  great  many  miles  from  ihis  scene  of  desolation. 


242     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Fear  added  to  her  haste.  She  settled  in  the  cottage 
where  you  were  brought  up,  and  it  was  entirely 
owing  to  her  fear  of  the  giant  that  she  never  men- 
tioned your  father  to  you.  I  became  your  father's 
guardian  at  his  birth ;  but  fairies  have  laws  to  which 
they  are  subject  as  well  as  mortals.  A  short  time 
before  the  giant  went  to  your  father's,  I  trans- 
gressed; my  punishment  was  a  suspension  of  power 
for  a  limited  time — an  unfortunate  circumstance,  as 
it  totally  prevented  my  succouring  your  father. 

"  The  day  on  which  you  met  the  butcher,  as  you 
went  to  sell  your  mother's  cow,  my  power  was 
restored.  It  was  I  who  secretly  prompted  you  to 
take  the  beans  in  exchange  for  the  cow.  By  my 
power,  the  bean-stalk  grew  to  so  great  a  height,  and 
formed  a  ladder.  I  need  not  add  that  I  inspired  you 
with  a  strong  desire  to  ascend  the  ladder.  The 
giant  lives  in  this  country:  you  are  the  person  ap- 
pointed to  punish  him  for  all  his  wickedness.  You 
will  have  dangers  and  difficulties  to  encounter,  but 
you  must  persevere  in  avenging  the  death  of  your 
father,  or  you  will  not  prosper  in  any  of  your  under- 
takings, but  will  always  be  miserable.  As  to  the 
giant's  possessions,  you  may  seize  on  all  you  can; 
for  every  thing  he  has  is  yours,  though  now  you 
are  unjustly  deprived  of  it.  One  thing  I  desire — 
do  not  let  your  mother  know  you  are  acquainted 
with  your  father's  history,  till  you  see  me  again. 
Go  along  the  direct  road,  you  will  soon  see  the 
house  where  your  cruel  enemy  lives.  While  you 
do  as  I  order  you,  I  will  protect  and  guard  you; 
but,  remember,  if  you  dare  disobey  my  commands, 
a  most  dreadful  punishment  awaits  you." 


Jack  and  the  Bean-Stalk  243 

When  the  fairy  had  concluded,  she  disappeared, 
leaving  Jack  to  pursue  his  journey.  He  walked  on 
till  after  sunset,  when,  to  his  great  joy,  he  espied  a 
large  mansion.  This  agreeable  sight  revived  his. 
drooping  spirits ;  he  redoubled  his  speed,  and  soon 
reached  it.  A  plain-looking  woman  was  at  the  door 
— he  accosted  her,  begging  she  would  give  him  a 
morsel  of  bread  and  a  night's  lodging.  She  ex- 
pressed the  greatest  surprise  at  seeing  him ;  and 
said  it  was  quite  uncommon  to  see  a  human  being 
near  their  house,  for  it  was  well  known  that  her 
husband  was  a  large  and  very  powerful  giant,  and 
that  he  would  never  eat  any  thing  but  human  flesh, 
if  he  could  possibly  get  it;  that  he  did  not  think 
any  thing  of  walking  fifty  miles  to  procure  it, 
usually  being  out  the  whole  day  for  that  purpose. 

This  account  greatly  terrified  Jack,  but  still  he 
hoped  to  elude  the  giant,  and  therefore  he  again 
entreated  the  woman  to  take  him  in  for  one  night 
only,  and  hide  him  where  she  thought  proper.  The 
good  woman  at  last  suffered  herself  to  be  per- 
suaded, for  she  was  of  a  compassionate  and  gener- 
ous disposition,  and  took  him  into  the  house.  First, 
they  entered  a  fine  large  hall,  magnificently  fur- 
nished ;  they  then  passed  through  several  spacious 
rooms,  all  in  the  same  style  of  grandeur;  but  they 
appeared  to  be  quite  forsaken  and  desolate.  A  long 
gallery  was  next;  it  was  very  dark — just  light 
enough  to  show  that,  instead  of  a  wall  on  one  side, 
there  was  a  grating  of  iron,  which  parted  off  a 
dismal  dungeon,  from  whence  issued  the  groans  of 
those  poor  victims  whom  the  cruel  giant  reserved 
in  confinement  for  his  own  voracious  appetite.  Poor 


244    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Jack  was  half  dead  with  fear,  and  would  have  given 
the  world  to  have  been  with  his  mother  again,  for 
he  now  began  to  fear  that  he  should  never  see  her 
more,  and  gave  himself  up  for  lost;  he  even  mis- 
trusted the  good  woman,  and  thought  she  had  let 
him  into  the  house  for  no  other  purpose  than  to 
lock  him  up  among  the  unfortunate  people  in  the 
dungeon.  At  the  farther  end  of  the  gallery  there 
was  a  spacious  kitchen,  and  a  very  excellent  fire 
was  burning  in  the  grate.  The  good  woman  bid 
Jack  sit  down,  and  gave  him  plenty  to  eat  and 
drink.  Jack,  not  seeing  any  thing  here  to  make  him 
uncomfortable,  soon  forgot  his  fear,  and  was  just 
beginning  to  enjoy  himself,  when  he  was  aroused  by 
a  loud  knocking  at  the  street-door,  which  made  the 
whole  house  shake :  the  giant's  wife  ran  to  secure 
him  in  the  oven,  and  then  went  to  let  her  husband 
in.  Jack  heard  him  accost  her  in  a  voice  like 
thunder,  saying :  "  Wife,  I  smell  fresh  meat." 
"  Oh !  my  dear/'  replied  she,  "  it  is  nothing  but  the 
people  in  the  dungeon."  The  giant  appeared  to  be- 
lieve her,  and  walked  into  the  very  kitchen  where 
poor  Jack  was  concealed,  who  shook,  trembled,  and 
was  more  terrified  than  he  had  yet  been.  At  last, 
the  monster  seated  himself  quietly  by  the  fireside, 
whilst  his  wife  prepared  supper.  By  degrees  Jack 
recovered  himself  sufficiently  to  look  at  the  giant 
through  a  small  crevice.  He  was  quite  astonished  to 
see  what  an  amazing  quantity  he  devoured,  and 
thought  he  never  would  have  done  eating  and  drink- 
ing. When  supper  was  ended,  the  giant  desired  his 
wife  to  bring  him  his  hen.  A  very  beautiful  hen 
was  then  brought,  and  placed  on  the  table  before 


Jack  and  the  Bean-Stalk  245 

him.  Jack's  curiosity  was  very  great  to  see  what 
would  happen:  he  observed  that  every  time  the 
giant  said  "  Lay !  "  the  hen  laid  an  egg  of  solid  gold. 
The  giant  amused  himself  a  long  time  with  his  hen ; 
meanwhile  his  wife  went  to  bed.  At  length  the 
giant  fell  asleep  by  the  fire-side,  and  snored  like  the 
roaring  of  a  cannon. 

At  daybreak,  Jack,  finding  the  giant  still  asleep, 
and  not  likely  to  awaken  soon,  crept  softly  out 
of  his  hiding-place,  seized  the  hen,  and  ran  off 
with  her.  He  met  with  some  difficulty  in  finding 
his  way  out  of  the  house,  but  at  last  he  reached 
the  road  with  safety.  He  easily  found  the  way 
to  the  bean-stalk,  and  descended  it  better  and 
quicker  than  he  expected.  His  mother  was  over- 
joyed to  see  him ;  he  found  her  crying  bitterly,  and 
lamenting  his  hard  fate,  for  she  concluded  he  had 
come  to  some  shocking  end  through  his  rashness. 
Jack  was  impatient  to  show  his  hen,  and  inform  his 
mother  how  valuable  it  was.  "  And  now,  mother," 
said  Jack,  "  I  have  brought  home  that  which  will 
quickly  make  us  rich ;  and  I  hope  to  make  you  some 
amends  for  the  affliction  I  have  caused  you  through 
my  idleness,  extravagance,  and  folly."  The  hen  pro- 
duced as  many  golden  eggs  as  they  desired:  they 
sold  them,  and  in  a  little  time  became  possessed  of 
as  much  riches  as  they  wanted.  For  some  months 
Jack  and  his  mother  lived  very  happily  together; 
but  he  being  very  desirous  of  travelling,  recollecting 
the  fairy's  commands,  and  fearing  that  if  he  delayed, 
she  would  put  her  threats  into  execution,  longed  to 
climb  the  bean-stalk,  and  pay  the  giant  another  visit, 
in  order  to  carry  away  some  more  of  his  treasures; 


246     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

for,  during  the  time  that  Jack  was  in  the  giant's 
mansion,  whilst  he  lay  concealed  in  the  oven,  he 
learned  from  the  conversation  that  took  place  be- 
tween the  giant  and  his  wife,  that  he  possessed  some 
wonderful  curiosities.  Jack  thought  of  his  jour- 
ney again  and  again,  but  still  he  could  not  summon 
resolution  enough  to  break  it  to  his  mother,  being 
well  assured  that  she  would  endeavour  to  prevent 
his  going.  However,  one  day  he  told  her  boldly 
that  he  must  take  a  journey  up  the  bean-stalk;  she 
begged  and  prayed  him  not  to  think  of  it,  and  tried 
all  in  her  power  to  dissuade  him :  she  told  him  that 
the  giant's  wife  would  certainly  know  him  again, 
and  that  the  giant  would  desire  nothing  better  than 
to  get  him  into  his  power,  that  he  might  put  him  to 
a  cruel  death,  in  order  to  be  revenged  for  the  loss 
of  his  hen.  Jack,  finding  that  all  his  arguments 
were  useless,  pretended  to  give  up  the  point,  though 
resolved  to  go  at  all  events.  He  had  a  dress  pre- 
pared which  would  disguise  him,  and  something  to 
colour  his  skin.  He  thought  it  impossible  for  any 
one  to  recollect  him  in  this  dress. 

In  a  few  mornings  after  this,  he  arose  very  early, 
changed  his  complexion,  and,  unperceived  by  any 
one,  climbed  the  bean-stalk  a  second  time.  He  was 
greatly  fatigued  when  he  reached  the  top,  and  very 
hungry.  Having  rested  some  time  on  one  of  the 
stones,  he  pursued  his  journey  to  the  giant's  man- 
sion. He  reached  it  late  in  the  evening:  the  woman 
was  at  the  door  as  before.  Jack  addressed  her,  at 
the  same  time  telling  her  a  pitiful  tale,  and  request- 
ing that  she  would  give  him  some  victuals  and 
drink,  and  also  a  night's  lodging. 


Jack  and  the  Bean-Stalk  247 

She  told  him  (what  he  knew  before  very  well) 
about  her  husband  being  a  powerful  and  cruel  giant ; 
and  also  that  she  one  night  admitted  a  poor,  hungry, 
friendless  boy,  who  was  half  dead  with  travelling ; 
that  the  little  ungrateful  fellow  had  stolen  one  of 
the  giant's  treasures ;  and,  ever  since  that,  her  hus- 
band had  been  worse  than  before,  used  her  very 
cruelly,  and  continually  upbraided  her  with  being 
the  cause  of  his  misfortune.  Jack  was  at  no  loss  to 
discover  that  he  was  attending  to  the  account  of  a 
story  in  which  he  was  the  principal  actor.  He  did 
his  best  to  persuade  the  good  woman  to  admit  him, 
but  found  it  a  very  hard  task.  At  last  she  con- 
sented; and  as  she  led  the  way,  Jack  observed  that 
every  thing  was  just  as  he  had  found  it  before. 
She  took  him  into  the  kitchen,  and  after  he  had  done 
eating  and  drinking,  she  hid  him  in  an  old  lumber- 
closet.  The  giant  returned  at  the  usual  time,  and 
walked  in  so  heavily,  that  the  house  was  shaken  to 
its  foundation.  He  seated  himself  by  the  fire,  and 
soon  after  exclaimed :  "  Wife !  I  smell  fresh  meat !  " 
The  wife  replied,  it  was  the  crows,  who  had  brought 
a  piece  of  raw  meat,  and  left  it  on  the  top  of  the 
house.  Whilst  supper  was  preparing,  the  giant  was 
very  ill-tempered  and  impatient,  frequently  lifting 
up  his  hand  to  strike  his  wife,  for  not  being  quick 
enough ;  she,  however,  was  always  so  fortunate  as 
to  elude  the  blow.  He  was  also  continually  up- 
braiding her  with  the  loss  of  his  wonderful  hen. 
The  giant  at  last  having  ended  his  voracious  supper, 
and  eaten  till  he  was  quite  satisfied,  said  to  his  wife : 
"  I  must  have  something  to  amuse  me ;  either  my 
bags  of  money  or  my  harp."    After  a  great  deal  of 


248    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Slundd  Know 

ill-humour,  and  having  teased  his  wife  some  time, 
he  commanded  her  to  bring  down  his  bags  of  gold 
and  silver.  Jack,  as  before,  peeped  out  of  his  hid- 
ing-place, and  presently  his  wife  brought  two  bags 
into  the  room :  they  were  of  a  very  large  size ;  one 
was  filled  with  new  guineas,  and  the  other  with  new 
shillings.  They  were  both  placed  before  the  giant, 
who  began  reprimanding  his  poor  wife  most  se- 
verely for  staying  so  long;  she  replied,  trembling 
with  fear,  that  they  were  so  heavy,  that  she  could 
scarcely  lift  them;  and  concluded,  at  last,  that  she 
would  never  again  bring  them  down  stairs ;  adding, 
that  she  had  nearly  fainted,  owing  to  their  weight. 
This  so  exasperated  the  giant,  that  he  raised  his 
hand  to  strike  her ;  she,  however,  escaped,  and  went 
to  bed,  leaving  him  to  count  over  his  treasure,  by 
way  of  amusement.  The  giant  took  his  bags,  and 
after  turning  them  over  and  over,  to  see  that  they 
were  in  the  same  state  as  he  left  them,  began  to 
count  their  contents.  First,  the  bag  which  con- 
tained the  silver  was  emptied,  and  the  contents 
placed  upon  the  table.  Jack  viewed  the  glittering 
heaps  with  delight,  and  most  heartily  wished  them 
in  his  own  possession.  The  giant  (little  thinking 
he  was  so  narrowly  watched)  reckoned  the  silver 
over  several  times;  and  then,  having  satisfied  him- 
self that  all  was  safe,  put  it  into  the  bag  again, 
which  he  made  very  secure.  The  other  bag  was 
opened  next,  and  the  guineas  placed  upon  the  table. 
If  Jack  was  pleased  at  the  sight  of  the  silver,  how 
much  more  delighted  he  felt  when  he  saw  such  a 
heap  of  glittering  gold !  He  even  had  the  boldness 
to  think  of  gaining  both  bags;  but  suddenly  recol- 


Jack  and  the  Bean-Stalk  249 

fecting  himself,  he  began  to  fear  that  the  giant 
would  sham  sleep,  the  better  to  entrap  any  one  who 
might  be  concealed.  When  the  giant  had  counted 
over  the  gold  till  he  was  tired,  he  put  it  up,  if  pos- 
sible, more  secure  than  he  had  put  up  the  silver  be- 
fore ;  he  then  fell  back  on  his  chair  by  the  fireside, 
and  fell  asleep.  He  snored  so  loud,  that  Jack  com- 
pared his  noise  to  the  roaring  of  the  sea  in  a  high 
wind,  when  the  tide  is  coming  in.  At  last,  Jack  con- 
cluded him  to  be  asleep,  and  therefore  secure,  stole 
out  of  hi?  hiding-place,  and  approached  the  giant, 
in  order  to  carry  off  the  two  bags  of  money ;  but 
just  as  he  laid  his  hand  upon  one  of  the  bags,  a 
little  dog,  whom  he  had  not  perceived  before,  started 
from  under  the  giant's  chair,  and  barked  at  Jack 
most  furiously,  who  now  gave  himself  up  for  lost. 
Fear  riveted  him  to  the  spot.  Instead  of  endeav- 
ouring to  escape,  he  stood  still,  though  expecting 
his  enemy  to  awake  every  instant.  Contrary,  how- 
ever, to  his  expectation,  the  giant  continued  in  a 
sound  sleep,  and  the  dog  grew  weary  of  barking. 
Jack  now  began  to  recollect  himself,  and  on  looking 
round,  saw  a  large  piece  of  meat;  this  he  threw  to 
the  dog,  who  instantly  seized  it,  and  took  it  into  the 
lumber-closet,  which  Jack  had  just  left.  Finding 
himself  delivered  from  a  noisy  and  troublesome 
enemy,  and  seeing  the  giant  did  not  awake,  Jack 
boldly  seized  the  bags,  and  throwing  them  over  his 
shoulders,  ran  out  of  the  kitchen.  He  reached  the 
street  door  in  safety,  and  found  it  quite  daylight. 
In  his  way  to  the  top  of  the  bean-stalk,  he  found 
himself  greatly  incommoded  with  the  weight  of  the 
money-bags ;  and  really  thev  were  so  heavy  that  he 


250     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

could  scarcely  carry  them.  Jack  was  overjoyed 
when  he  found  himself  near  the  bean-stalk ;  he  soon 
reached  the  bottom,  and  immediately  ran  to  seek  his 
mother;  to  his  great  surprise,  the  cottage  was  de- 
serted; he  ran  from  one  room  to  another,  without 
being  able  to  find  any  one;  he  then  hastened  into 
the  village,  hoping  to  see  some  of  the  neighbours, 
who  could  inform  him  where  he  could  find  his 
mother.  An  old  woman  at  last  directed  him  to  a 
neighbouring  house,  where  she  was  ill  of  a  fever. 
He  was  greatly  shocked  on  finding  her  apparently 
dying,  and  could  scarcely  bear  his  own  reflections, 
on  knowing  himself  to  be  the  cause.  On  being  in- 
formed of  our  hero's  safe  return,  his  mother,  by 
degrees,  revived,  and  gradually  recovered.  Jack 
presented  her  with  his  two  valuable  bags.  They 
lived  happily  and  comfortably;  the  cottage  was  re- 
built, and  well  furnished. 

For  three  years  Jack  heard  no  more  of  the  bean- 
stalk, but  he  could  not  forget  it;  though  he  feared 
making  his  mother  unhappy.  She  would  not  men- 
tion the  hated  bean-stalk,  lest  it  should  remind  him 
of  taking  another  journey.  Notwithstanding  the 
comforts  Jack  enjoyed  at  home,  his  mind  dwelt  con- 
tinually upon  the  bean-stalk ;  for  the  fairy's  menaces, 
in  case  of  his  disobedience,  were  ever  present  to  his 
mind,  and  prevented  him  from  being  happy;  he 
could  think  of  nothing  else.  It  was  in  vain  endeav- 
ouring to  amuse  himself ;  he  became  thoughtful,  and 
would  arise  at  the  first  dawn  of  day,  and  view  the 
bean-stalk  for  hours  together.  His  mother  saw 
that  something  preyed  heavily  upon  his  mind,  and 
endeavoured  to  discover  the  cause;  but  Jack  knew 


Jack  and  the  Bean-Stalk  251 

too  well  what  the  consequence  would  be,  should  she 
succeed.  He  did  his  utmost,  therefore,  to  conquer 
the  great  desire  he  had  for  another  journey  up  the 
bean-stalk.  Finding,  however,  that  his  inclination 
grew  too  powerful  for  him,  he  began  to  make  secret 
preparations  for  his  journey,  and  on  the  longest 
day,  arose  as  soon  as  it  was  light,  ascended  the  bean- 
stalk, and  reached  the  top  with  some  little  trouble. 
He  found  the  road,  journey,  etc.,  much  as  it  was  on 
the  two  former  times ;  he  arrived  at  the  giant's  man- 
sion in  the  evening,  and  found  his  wife  standing,  as 
usual,  at  the  door.  Jack  had  disguised  himself  so 
completely,  that  she  did  not  appear  to  have  the 
least  recollection  of  him ;  however,  when  he  pleaded 
hunger  and  poverty,  in  order  to  gain  admittance,  he 
found  it  very  difficult  to  persuade  her.  At  last  he 
prevailed,  and  was  concealed  in  the  copper.  When 
the  giant  returned,  he  said,  "  I  smell  fresh  meat!  " 
But  Jack  felt  quite  composed,  as  he  had  said  so 
before,  and  had  been  soon  satisfied.  However,  the 
giant  started  up  suddenly,  and,  notwithstanding  all 
his  wife  could  say,  he  searched  all  round  the  room. 
Whilst  this  was  going  forward,  Jack  was  exceed- 
ingly terrified,  and  ready  to  die  with  fear,  wishing 
himself  at  home  a  thousand  times ;  but  when  the 
giant  approached  the  copper,  and  put  his  hand  upon 
the  lid,  Jack  thought  his  death  was  certain.  The 
giant  ended  his  search  there,  without  moving  the 
lid,  and  seated  himself  quietly  by  the  fireside.  This 
fright  nearly  overcame  poor  Jack ;  he  was  afraid  of 
moving  or  even  breathing,  lest  he  should  be  dis- 
covered. The  giant  at  last  ate  a  hearty  supper. 
When  he  had  finished,  he  commanded  his  wife  to 


252     Fairy  Talcs  Every  Child  Should  Know 

fetch  down  his  harp.  Jack  peeped  under  the  cop- 
per-lid, and  soon  saw  the  most  beautiful  harp  that 
could  be  imagined:  it  was  placed  by  the  giant  on 
the  table,  who  said,  "  Play ! "  and  it  instantly  played 
of  its  own  accord,  without  being  touched.  The 
music  was  uncommonly  fine.  Jack  was  delighted, 
and  felt  more  anxious  to  get  the  harp  into  his  pos- 
session, than  either  of  the  former  treasures.  The 
giant's  soul  was  not  attuned  to  harmony,  and  the 
music  soon  lulled  him  into  a  sound  sleep.  Now, 
therefore,  was  the  time  to  carry  off  the  harp,  as  the 
giant  appeared  to  be  in  a  more  profound  sleep  than 
usual.  Jack  soon  determined,  got  out  of  the  cop- 
per, and  seized  the  harp.  The  harp  was  enchanted 
by  a  fairy :  it  called  out  loudly :  "  Master !  master !  " 
The  giant  awoke,  stood  up,  and  tried  to  pursue 
Jack;  but  he  had  drank  so  much,  that  he  could 
hardly  stand.  Poor  Jack  ran  as  fast  as  he  could. 
In  a  little  time  the  giant  recovered  sufficiently  to 
walk  slowly,  or  rather,  to  reel  after  him.  Had  he 
been  sober,  he  must  have  overtaken  Jack  instantly; 
but,  as  he  then  was,  Jack  contrived  to  be  first  at  the 
top  of  the  bean-stalk.  The  giant  called  after  him 
in  a  voice  like  thunder,  and  sometimes  was  very 
near  him.  The  moment  Jack  got  down  the  bean- 
stalk he  called  out  for  a  hatchet ;  one  was  brought 
him  directly ;  just  at  that  instant,  the  giant  was  be- 
ginning to  descend ;  but  Jack,  with  his  hatchet,  cut 
the  bean-stalk  close  off  at  the  root,  which  made  the 
giant  fall  headlong  into  the  garden:  the  fall  killed 
him,  thereby  releasing  the  world  from  a  barbarous 
enemy.  Jack's  mother  was  delighted  when  she  saw 
the  bean-stalk  destroyed.    At  this  instant  the  fairy 


Jack  and  the  Bean-Stalk  253 

appeared :  she  first  addressed  Jack's  mother  and  ex- 
plained every  circumstance  relating  to  the  journeys 
up  the  bean-stalk.  The  fairy  charged  Jack  to  be 
dutiful  to  his  mother,  and  to  follow  his  father's  good 
example,  which  was  the  only  way  to  be  happy.  She 
then  disappeared.  Jack  heartily  begged  his  mother's 
pardon  for  all  the  sorrow  and  affliction  he  had 
caused  her,  promising  most  faithfully  to  be  very 
dutiful  and  obedient  to  her  for  the  future. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

JACK  THE  GIANT   KILLER 

In  the  reign  of  the  famous  King  Arthur,  there 
lived  near  the  Land's  End  of  England,  in  the  county 
of  Cornwall,  a  worthy  farmer,  who  had  an  only 
son  named  Jack.  Jack  was  a  boy  of  a  bold  temper ; 
he  took  pleasure  in  hearing  or  reading  stories  of 
wizards,  conjurers,  giants,  and  fairies,  and  used  to 
listen  eagerly  while  his  father  talked  of  the  great 
deeds  of  the  brave  knights  of  King  Arthur's  Round 
Table-  When  Jack  was  sent  to  take  care  of  the 
sheep  and  oxen  in  the  fields,  he  used  to  amuse  him- 
self with  planning  battles,  sieges,  and  the  means  to 
conquer  or  surprise  a  foe.  He  was  above  the  com- 
mon sports  of  children ;  but  hardly  any  one  could 
equal  him  at  wrestling;  or,  if  he  met  with  a  match 
for  himself  in  strength,  his  skill  and  address  always 
made  him  the  victor.  In  those  days  there  lived  on 
St.  Michael's  Mount  of  Cornwall,  which  rises  out 
of  the  sea  at  some  distance  from  the  main  land,  a 
huge  giant.  He  was  eighteen  feet  high,  and  three 
yards  round ;  and  his  fierce  and  savage  looks  were 
the  terror  of  all  his  neighbours.  He  dwelt  in  a 
gloomy  cavern  on  the  very  top  of  the  mountain,  and 
used  to  wade  over  to  the  main  land  in  search  of  his 
prey.     When  he  came  near,  the  people  left  their 


Jack  the  Giant  Killer  255 

houses ;  and  after  he  had  glutted  his  appetite  upon 
their  cattle,  he  would  throw  half-a-dozen  oxen  upon 
his  back,  and  tie  three  times  as  many  sheep  and  hogs 
round  his  waist,  and  so  march  back  to  his  own  abode. 
The  giant  had  done  this  for  many  years,  and  the 
coast  of  Cornwall  was  greatly  hurt  by  his  thefts, 
when  Jack  boldly  resolved  to  destroy  him.  He  there- 
fore took  a  horn,  a  shovel,  pickaxe,  and  a  dark  lan- 
tern, and  early  in  a  long  winter's  evening  he  swam 
to  the  mount.  There  he  fell  to  work  at  once,  and 
before  morning  he  had  dug  a  pit  twenty-two  feet 
deep,  and  almost  as  many  broad.  He  covered  it 
over  with  sticks  and  straw,  and  strewed  some  of  the 
earth  over  them,  to  make  it  look  just  like  solid 
ground.  He  then  put  his  horn  to  his  mouth,  and 
blew  such  a  loud  and  long  tantivy,  that  the  giant 
awoke  and  came  towards  Jack,  roaring  like  thunder : 
"  You  saucy  villain,  you  shall  pay  dearly  for  break- 
ing my  rest ;  I  will  broil  you  for  my  breakfast."  He 
had  scarcely  spoken  these  words,  when  he  came  ad- 
vancing one  step  farther ;  but  then  he  tumbled  head- 
long into  the  pit,  and  his  fall  shook  the  very  moun- 
tain. "  O  ho,  Mr.  Giant !  "  said  Jack,  looking  into 
the  pit,  "  have  you  found  your  way  so  soon  to  the 
bottom  ?  How  is  your  appetite  now  ?  Will  nothing 
serve  you  for  breakfast  this  cold  morning  but  broil- 
ing poor  Jack  ?  "  The  giant  now  tried  to  rise,  but 
Jack  struck  him  a  blow  on  the  crown  of  the  head 
with  his  pickaxe,  which  killed  him  at  once.  Jack 
then  made  haste  back  to  rejoice  his  friends  with  the 
news  of  the  giant's  death.  When  the  justices  of 
Cornwall  heard  of  this  valiant  action,  they  sent  for 
Jack,  and  declared  that  he  should  always  be  called 


256     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Jack  the  Giant  Killer;  and  they  also  gave  him  a 
sword  and  belt,  upon  which  was  written  in  letters  of 
gold: 

"  This  is  the  valiant  Cornishman 
Who  slew  the  Giant  Cormoran." 

The  news  of  Jack's  exploits  soon  spread  over  the 
western  parts  of  England ;  and  another  giant,  called 
Old  Blunderbore,  vowed  to  have  revenge  on  Jack, 
if  it  should  ever  be  his  fortune  to  get  him  into  his 
power.  This  giant  kept  an  enchanted  castle  in  the 
midst  of  a  lonely  wood.  About  four  months  after 
the  death  of  Cormoran,  as  Jack  was  taking  a  journey 
into  Wales,  he  passed  through  this  wood ;  and  as  he 
was  very  weary,  he  sat  down  to  rest  by  the  side  of 
a  pleasant  fountain,  and  there  he  fell  into  a  deep 
sleep.  The  giant  came  to  the  fountain  for  water 
just  at  this  time,  and  found  Jack  there;  and  as  the 
lines  on  Jack's  belt  showed  who  he  was,  the  giant 
lifted  him  up  and  laid  him  gently  upon  his  shoulder 
to  carry  him  to  his  castle :  but  as  he  passed  through 
the  thicket,  the  rustling  of  the  leaves  waked  Jack; 
and  he  was  sadly  afraid  when  he  found  himself  in 
the  clutches  of  Blunderbore.  Yet  this  was  nothing 
to  his  fright  soon  after ;  for  when  they  reached  the 
castle,  he  beheld  the  floor  covered  all  over  with  the 
skulls  and  bones  of  men  and  women.  The  giant 
took  him  into  a  large  room  where  lay  the  hearts  and 
limbs  of  persons  who  had  been  lately  killed ;  and  he 
told  Jack,  with  a  horrid  grin,  that  men's  hearts, 
eaten  with  pepper  and  vinegar,  were  his  nicest  food ; 
and  also,  that  he  thought  he  should  make  a  dainty 
meal  on  his  heart.    When  he  had  said  this,  he  locked 


Jack  the  Giant  Killer  257 

Jack  up  in  that  room,  while  he  went  to  fetch  an- 
other giant  who  lived  in  the  same  wood,  to  enjoy 
a  dinner  off  Jack's  flesh  with  him.  While  he  was 
away,  Jack  heard  dreadful  shrieks,  groans,  and  cries, 
from  many  parts  of  the  castle ;  and  soon  after  he 
heard  a  mournful  voice  repeat  these  lines: 

"  Haste,  valiant  stranger,  haste  away, 
Lest  you  become  the  giant's  prey. 
On  his  return  he'll  bring  another, 
Still  more  savage  than  his  brother : 
A  horrid,  cruel  monster,  who, 
Before  he  kills,  will  torture  you. 
Oh  valiant  stranger,  haste  away, 
Or  you'll  become  these  giants'  prey." 

This  warning  was  so  shocking  to  poor  Jack,  that 
he  was  ready  to  go  mad.  He  ran  to  the  window, 
and  saw  the  two  giants  coming  along  arm  in  arm. 
This  window  was  right  over  the  gates  of  the  castle. 
"  Now,"  thought  Jack,  "  either  my  death  or  free- 
dom is  at  hand."  There  were  two  strong  cords  in 
the  room :  Jack  made  a  large  noose  with  a  slip-knot 
at  the  ends  of  both  these,  and  as  the  giants  were 
coming  through  the  gates,  he  threw  the  ropes  over 
their  heads.  He  then  made  the  other  ends  fast  to 
a  beam  in  the  ceiling,  and  pulled  with  all  his  might 
till  he  had  almost  strangled  them.  When  he  saw 
that  they  were  both  quite  black  in  the  face,  and  had 
not  the  least  strength  left,  he  drew  his  sword,  and 
slid  down  the  ropes ;  he  then  killed  the  giants,  and 
thus  saved  himself  from  the  cruel  death  they  meant 
to  put  him  to.    Jack  next  took  a  great  bunch  of  keys 


258     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

from  the  pocket  of  Blunderbore,  and  went  into  the 
castle  again.  He  made  a  strict  search  through  all 
the  rooms;  and  in  them  found  three  ladies  tied  up 
by  the  hair  of  their  heads,  and  almost  starved  to 
death.  They  told  him  that  their  husbands  had  been, 
killed  by  the  giants,  who  had  then  condemned  them 
to  be  starved  to  death,  because  they  would  not  eat 
the  flesh  of  their  own  dead  husbands.  "  Ladies," 
said  Jack,  "  I  have  put  an  end  to  the  monster  and 
his  wicked  brother;  and  I  give  you  this  castle  and 
all  the  riches  it  contains,  to  make  you  some  amends 
for  the  dreadful  pains  you  have  felt."  He  then  very 
politely  gave  them  the  keys  of  the  castle,  and  went 
further  on  his  journey  to  Wales.  As  Jack  had  not 
taken  any  of  the  giant's  riches  for  himself,  and  so 
had  very  little  money  of  his  own,  he  thought  it  best 
to  travel  as  fast  as  he  could.  At  length  he  lost 
his  way,  and  when  night  came  on  he  was  in  a  lonely 
valley  between  two  lofty  mountains,  where  he 
walked  about  for  some  hours  without  seeing  any 
dwelling  place,  so  he  thought  himself  very  lucky  at 
last,  in  finding  a  large  and  handsome  house. 

He  went  up  to  it  boldly,  and  knocked  loudly  at 
the  gate,  when,  to  his  great  terror  and  surprise,  there 
came  forth  a  monstrous  giant  with  two  heads.  He 
spoke  to  Jack  very  civilly,  for  he  was  a  We'sh  giant, 
and  all  the  mischief  he  did  was  by  private  and  secret 
malice,  under  the  show  of  friendship  and  kindness. 
Jack  told  him  that  he  was  a  traveller  who  had  lost 
his  way,  on  which  the  huge  monster  made  him  wel- 
come, and  led  him  into  a  room,  where  there  was  a 
good  bed  to  pass  the  night  in.  Jack  took  off  his 
clothes  quickly;  but  though  he  was  so  weary  he 


Jack  the  Giant  Killer  259 

could  not  go  to  sleep.  Soon  after  this  he  heard  the 
giant  walking  backward  and  forward  in  the  next 
room,  and  saying  to  himself : 

"  Though  here  you  lodge  with  me  this  night, 
You  shall  not  see  the  morning  light ; 
My  club  shall  dash  your  brains  out  quite." 

"  Say  you  so  ? "  thought  Jack ;  "  are  these  your 
tricks  upon  travellers  ?  But  I  hope  to  prove  as  cun- 
ning as  you."  Then  getting  out  of  bed,  he  groped 
about  the  room,  and  at  last  found  a  large  thick  billet 
of  wood ;  he  laid  it  in  his  own  place  in  the  bed,  and 
then  hid  himself  in  a  dark  corner  of  the  room.  In 
the  middle  of  the  night  the  giant  came  with  his 
great  club,  and  struck  many  heavy  blows  on  the  bed, 
in  the  very  place  where  Jack  had  laid  the  billet,  and 
then  he  went  back  to  his  own  room,  thinking  he  had 
broken  all  his  bones.  Early  in  the  morning,  Jack 
put  a  bold  face  upon  the  matter,  and  walked  into 
the  giant's  room  to  thank  him  for  his  lodgings.  The 
giant  started  when  he  saw  him,  and  he  began  to 
stammer  out,  "  Oh,  dear  me !  Is  it  you  ?  Pray,  how 
did  you  sleep  last  night ?/'  Did  you  hear  or  see  any 
thing  in  the  dead  of  the  night  ?  "  "  Nothing  worth 
speaking  of,"  said  Jack  carelessly  y(  a  rat,  I  believe, 
gave  me  three  or  four  slaps  with  his. tail,  and  dis- 
turbed me  a  little ;  but  I  soon  went  to  sleep  again." 
The  giant  wondered  more  and  more  at  this ;  yet  he 
did  not  answer  a  word,  but  went  to  bring  two  great 
bowls  of  hasty-pudding  for  their  breakfast.  Jack 
wished  to  make  the  giant  believe  that  he  could  eat 
as  much  as  himself.     So  he  contrived  to  button  a 


260    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

leathern  bag  inside  his  coat,  and  slipped  the  hasty- 
pudding  into  this  bag,  while  he  seemed  to  put  it  into 
his  mouth.  When  breakfast  was  over,  he  said  to  the 
giant :  "  Now  I  will  show  you  a  fine  trick ;  I  can  cure 
all  wounds  with  a  touch;  I  could  cut  off  my  head 
one  minute,  and  the  next,  put  it  sound  again  on  my 
shoulders :  you  shall  see  an  example."  He  then  took 
hold  of  the  knife,  ripped  up  the  leathern  bag,  and  all 
the  hasty-pudding  tumbled  out  upon  the  floor. 
"  Ods  splutter  hur  nails,"  cried  the  Welsh  giant, 
who  was  ashamed  to  be  outdone  by  such  a  little  fel- 
low as  Jack,  "  hur  can  do  that  hurself."  So  he 
snatched  up  the  knife,  plunged  it  into  his  stomach, 
and  in  a  moment  dropped  down  dead. 

As  soon  as  Jack  had  thus  tricked  the  Welsh  mon- 
ster, he  went  farther  on  his  journey ;  and  a  few  days 
after  he  met  with  King  Arthur's  only  son,  who  had 
got  his  father's  leave  to  travel  into  Wales,  to  deliver 
a  beautiful  lady  from  the  power  of  a  wicked  magi- 
cian, who  held  her  in  his  enchantments.  When 
Jack  found  that  the  young  prince  had  no  servants 
with  him,  he  begged  leave  to  attend  him ;  and  the 
prince  at  once  agreed  to  this,  and  gave  Jack  many 
thanks  for  his  kindness.  The  prince  was  a  hand- 
some, polite,  and  brave  knight,  and  so  good-natured 
that  he  gave  money  to  every  body  he  met.  At  length 
he  gave  his  last  penny  to  an  old  woman,  and  then 
turned  to  Jack,  and  said :  "  How  shall  we  be  able 
to  get  food  for  ourselves  the  rest  of  our  journey?  " 
**  Leave  that  to  me  sir,"  said  Jack ;  "  I  will  provide 
for  my  prince."  Night  now  came  on,  and  the  prince 
began  to  grow  uneasy  at  thinking  where  they  should 
lodge.     "  Sir,"  said  Jack,  "  be  of  good  heart ;  two 


Jack  the  Giant  Killer  261 

miles  farther  there  lives  a  large  giant,  whom  I  know 
well.  He  has  three  heads,  and  will  fight  five  hundred 
men,  and  make  them  fly  before  him."  "  Alas !  "  re- 
plied the  king's  son,  "  we  had  better  never  have  been 
born  than  meet  with  such  a  monster."  "  My  lord, 
leave  me  to  manage  him,  and  wait  here  in  quiet  till  I 
return."  The  prince  now  staid  behind,  while  Jack 
rode  on  full  speed.  And  when  he  came  to  the  gates 
of  the  castle,  he  gave  a  loud  knock.  The  giant,  with 
a  voice  like  thunder,  roared  out:  "  Who  is  there?" 
And  Jack  made  answer,  and  said :  "  No  one  but 
your  poor  cousin  Jack."  "  Well,"  said  the  giant, 
"what  news,  cousin  Jack?"  "Dear  uncle,"  said 
Jack,  "  I  have  some  heavy  news."  "  Pooh !  "  said 
the  giant,  "  what  heavy  news  can  come  to  me  ?  I 
am  a  giant  with  three  heads ;  and  can  fight  five  hun- 
dred men,  and  make  them  fly  before  me."  "  Alas !  " 
said  Jack,  "  Here  is  the  king's  son,  coming  with  two 
thousand  men,  to  kill  you,  and  to  destroy  the  castle 
and  all  that  you  have."  "  Oh,  cousin  Jack,"  said  the 
giant,  "  This  is  heavy  news  indeed !  But  I  have  a 
large  cellar  under  ground,  where  I  will  hide  myself, 
and  you  shall  lock,  and  bar  me  in,  and  keep  the  keys 
till  the  king's  son  is  gone." 

Now  when  Jack  had  made  the  giant  fast  in  the 
vault,  he  went  back  and  fetched  the  prince  to  the 
castle ;  they  both  made  themselves  merry  with  the 
wine  and  other  dainties  that  were  in  the  house.  So 
that  night  they  rested  very  pleasantly,  while  the 
poor  giant  lay  trembling  and  shaking  with  fear  in 
the  cellar  under  ground.  Early  in  the  morning,  Jack 
gave  the  king's  son  gold  and  silver  out  of  the  giant's 
treasure,  and  set  him  three  miles  forward  on  his 


262     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

journey.  He  then  went  to  let  his  uncle  out  of  the 
hole,  who  asked  Jack  what  he  should  give  him  as  a 
reward  for  saving  his  castle.  "  Why,  good  uncle," 
said  Jack,  "  I  desire  nothing  but  the  old  coat  and 
cap,  with  the  old  rusty  sword  and  slippers,  which 
are  hanging  at  your  bed's  head."  Then  said  the 
giant:  "  You  shall  have  them;  and  pray  keep  them 
for  my  sake,  for  they  are  things  of  great  use :  the 
coat  will  keep  you  invisible,  the  cap  will  give  you 
knowledge,  the  sword  cut  through  anything,  and  the 
shoes  are  of  vast  swiftness;  these  may  be  useful  to 
you  in  all  times  of  danger,  so  take  them  with  all  my 
heart."  Jack  gave  many  thanks  to  the  giant,  and 
then  set  off  to  the  prince.  When  he  had  come  up 
with  the  king's  son,  they  soon  arrived  at  the  dwell- 
ing of  the  beautiful  lady,  who  was  under  the  power 
of  a  wicked  magician.  She  received  the  prince  very 
politely,  and  made  a  noble  feast  for  him ;  and  when  it 
was  ended,  she  rose,  and  wiping  her  mouth  with  a 
fine  handkerchief,  said :  "  My  lord,  you  must  submit 
to  the  custom  of  my  palace;  to-morrow  morning  I 
command  you  to  tell  me  on  whom  I  bestow  this 
handkerchief  or  lose  your  head."  She  then  went 
out  of  the  room.  The  young  prince  went  to  bed 
very  mournful:  but  Jack  put  on  his  cap  of  knowl- 
edge, which  told  him  that  the  lady  was  forced,  by  the 
power  of  enchantment,  to  meet  the  wicked  magician 
every  night  in  the  middle  of  the  forest.  Jack  now 
put  on  his  coat  of  darkness,  and  his  shoes  of  swift- 
ness, and  was  there  before  her.  When  the  lady 
came,  she  gave  the  handkerchief  to  the  magician. 
Jack  with  his  sword  of  sharpness,  at  one  blow,  cut 
off  his  head;  the  enchantment  was  then  ended  in  a 


Jack  the  Giant  Killer  263 

moment,  and  the  lady  was  restored  to  her  former 
virtue  and  goodness. 

She  was  married  to  the  prince  on  the  next  day, 
and  soon  after  went  back  with  her  royal  husband, 
and  a  great  company,  to  the  court  of  King  Arthur, 
where  they  were  received  with  loud  and  joyful  wel- 
comes ;  and  the  valiant  hero  Jack,  for  the  many  great 
exploits  he  had  done  for  the  good  of  his  country, 
was  made  one  of  the  Knights  of  the  Round  Table. 
As  Jack  had  been  so  lucky  in  all  his  adventures,  he 
resolved  not  to  be  idle  for  the  future,  but  still  to 
do  what  services  he  could  for  the  honour  of  the  king 
and  the  nation.  He  therefore  humbly  begged  his 
majesty  to  furnish  him  with  a  horse  and  money, 
that  he  might  travel  in  search  of  new  and  strange 
exploits.  "  For,"  said  he  to  the  king,  "  there  are 
many  giants  yet  living  in  the  remote  parts  of  Wales, 
to  the  great  terror  and  distress  of  your  majesty's 
subjects;  therefore  if  it  please  you,  sire,  to  favour 
me  in  my  design,  I  will  soon  rid  your  kingdom  of 
these  giants  and  monsters  in  human  shape."  Now 
when  the  king  heard  this  offer,  and  began  to  think 
of  the  cruel  deeds  of  these  blood-thirsty  giants  and 
savage  monsters,  he  gave  Jack  every  thing  proper 
for  such  a  journey.  After  this  Jack  took  leave  of  the 
king,  the  prince,  and  all  the  knights,  and  set  off; 
taking  with  him  his  cap  of  knowledge,  his  sword  of 
sharpness,  his  shoes  of  swiftness,  and  his  invisible 
coat,  the  better  to  perform  the  great  exploits  that 
might  fall  in  his  way.  He  went  along  over  high  hills 
and  lofty  mountains,  and  on  the  third  day  he  came 
to  a  large  wide  forest,  through  which  his  road  led. 
He  had  hardly  entered  the  forest,  when  on  a  sudden 


264    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Knoiv 

he  heard  very  dreadful  shrieks  and  cries.  He  forced 
his  way  through  the  trees,  and  saw  a  monstrous 
giant  dragging  along  by  the  hair  of  their  heads  a 
handsome  knight  and  his  beautiful  lady.  Their  tears 
and  cries  melted  the  heart  of  honest  Jack  to  pity  and 
compassion;  he  alighted  from  his  horse,  and  tying 
him  to  an  oak  tree  he  put  on  his  invisible  coat,  under 
which  he  carried  his  sword  of  sharpness. 

When  he  came  up  to  the  giant,  he  made  several 
strokes  at  him,  but  could  not  reach  his  body,  on  ac- 
count of  the  enormous  height  of  the  terrible  creature, 
but  he  wounded  his  thighs  in  several  places ;  and  at 
length,  putting  both  hands  to  his  sword,  and  aim- 
ing with  all  his  might,  he  cut  off  both  the  giant's  legs 
just  below  the  garter;  and  the  trunk  of  his  body 
tumbling  to  the  ground,  made  not  only  the  trees 
shake,  but  the  earth  itself  tremble  with  the  force  of 
his  fall.  Then  Jack,  setting  his  foot  upon  his  neck, 
exclaimed,  "  Thou  barbarous  and  savage  wretch, 
behold  I  come  to  execute  upon  thee  the  just  reward 
for  all  thy  crimes ;  "  and  instantly  plunged  his  sword 
into  the  giant's  body.  The  huge  monster  gave  a 
hideous  groan,  and  yielded  up  his  life  into  the  hands 
of  the  victorious  Jack  the  Giant  Killer,  whilst  the 
noble  knight  and  the  virtuous  lady  were  both  joyful 
spectators  of  his  sudden  death  and  their  deliverance. 
The  courteous  knight  and  his  fair  lady,  not  only  re- 
turned Jack  hearty  thanks  for  their  deliverance,  but 
also  invited  him  to  their  house,  to  refresh  himself 
after  his  dreadful  encounter,  as  likewise  to  receive  a 
reward  for  his  good  services.  "  No,"  said  Jack,  "  I 
cannot  be  at  ease  till  I  find  out  the  den  that  was  the 
monster's  habitation."    The  knight  on  hearing  this 


Jack  the  Giant  Killer  265 

grew  very  sorrowful,  and  replied,  "  Noble  stranger, 
it  is  too  much  to  run  a  second  hazard ;  this  monster 
lived  in  a  den  under  yonder  mountain,  with  a  brother 
of  his,  more  fierce  and  cruel  than  himself ;  therefore, 
if  you  should  go  thither,  and  perish  in  the  attempt, 
it  would  be  a  heart-breaking  thing  to  me  and  my 
lady ;  so  let  me  persuade  you  to  go  with  us,  and  de- 
sist from  any  farther  pursuit."  "  Nay,"  answered 
Jack,  "  if  there  be  another,  even  if  there  were  twenty, 
I  would  shed  the  last  drop  of  blood  in  my  body  be- 
fore one  of  them  should  escape  my  fury.  When  I 
have  finished  this  task,  I  will  come  and  pay  my  re- 
spects to  you."  So  when  they  had  told  him  where  to 
find  them  again,  he  got  on  his  horse  and  went  after 
the  dead  giant's  brother. 

Jack  had  not  rode  a  mile  and  a  half,  before  he 
came  in  sight  of  the  mouth  of  the  cavern ;  and  nigh 
the  entrance  of  it,  he  saw  the  other  giant  sitting  on  a 
huge  block  of  fine  timber,  with  a  knotted  iron  club 
lying  by  his  side,  waiting  for  his  brother.  His  eyes 
looked  like  flames  of  fire,  his  face  was  grim  and  ugly, 
and  his  cheeks  seemed  like  two  flitches  of  bacon ; 
the  bristles  of  his  beard  seemed  to  be  thick  rods  of 
iron  wire ;  and  his  long  locks  of  hair  hung  down 
upon  his  broad  shoulders  like  curling  snakes.  Jack 
got  down  from  his  horse,  and  turned  him  into  a 
thicket ;  then  he  put  on  his  coat  of  darkness,  and 
drew  a  little  nearer  to  behold  this  figure,  and  said 
softly:  "  Oh,  monster!  are  you  there?  It  will  not  be 
long  before  I  shall  take  you  fast  by  the  beard."  The 
giant  all  this  while,  could  not  see  him,  by  reason  of 
his  invisible  coat :  so  Jack  came  quite  close  to  him, 
and  struck  a  blow  at  his  head  with  his  sword  of 


266     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

sharpness,  but  he  missed  his  aim,  and  only  cut  off 
his  nose,  which  made  him  roar  like  loud  claps  of 
thunder.  And  though  he  rolled  his  glaring  eyes 
round  on  every  side,  he  could  not  see  who  had  given 
him  the  blow ;  yet  he  took  up  his  iron  club,  and  be- 
gan to  lay  about  him  like  one  that  was  mad  with  pain 
and  fury. 

"  Nay,"  said  Jack,  "  if  this  be  the  case  I  will  kill 
you  at  once."  So  saying,  he  slipped  nimbly  behind 
him,,  and  jumping  upon  the  block  of  timber,  as  the 
giant  rose  from  it,  he  stabbed  him  in  the  back ;  when, 
after  a  few  howls,  he  dropped  down  dead.  Jack 
cut  off  his  head,  and  sent  it  with  the  head  of  his 
brother,  whom  he  had  killed  before  in  the  forest,  to 
King  Arthur,  by  a  wagon  which  he  hired  for  that 
purpose,  with  an  account  of  all  his  exploits.  When 
Jack  had  thus  killed  these  two  monsters,  he  went 
into  their  cave  in  search  of  their  treasure :  he  passed 
through  many  turnings  and  windings,  which  led  him 
to  a  room  paved  with  freestone ;  at  the  end  of  it  was 
a  boiling  caldron,  and  on  the  right  hand  stood  a 
large  table  where  the  giants  used  to  dine.  He  then 
came  to  a  window  that  was  secured  with  iron  bars, 
through  which  he  saw  a  number  of  wretched  cap- 
tives, who  cried  out  when  they  saw  Jack,  "  Alas ! 
alas !  young  man,  you  are  come  to  be  one  among  us 
in  this  horrid  den."  "  I  hope,"  said  Jack,  "  you  will 
not  stay  here  long;  but  pray  tell  me  what  is  the 
meaning  of  your  being  here  at  all  ?  "  "  Alas !  "  said 
one  poor  old  man,  "  I  will  tell  you,  sir.  We  are 
persons  that  have  been  taken  by  the  giants  who  hold 
this  cave,  and  are  kept  till  they  choose  to  have  a 
feast,  then  one  of  us  is  to  be  killed,  and  cooked 


Jack  the  Giant  Killer  267 

to  please  their  taste.  It  is  not  long  since  they  took 
three  for  the  same  purpose."  "  Well,"  said  Jack, 
"  I  have  given  them  such  a  dinner  that  it  will  be 
long  enough  before  they  have  any  more."  The 
captives  were  amazed  at  his  words.  "  You  may  be- 
lieve me,"  said  Jack ;  "  for  I  have  killed  them  both 
with  the  edge  of  the  sword,  and  have  sent  their  large 
heads  to  the  court  of  King  Arthur,  as  marks  of  my 
great  success." 

To  show  them  that  what  he  said  was  true,  he  un- 
locked the  gate,  and  set  them  all  free.  Then  he 
led  them  to  the  great  room,  placed  them  round  the 
table,  and  set  before  them  two  quarters  of  beef, 
with  bread  and  wine ;  upon  which  they  feasted  to 
their  fill.  When  supper  was  over,  they  searched  the 
giants'  coffers,  and  Jack  shared  the  store  in  them 
among  the  captives,  who  thanked  him  for  their  es- 
cape. The  next  morning  they  set  off  to  their  homes, 
and  Jack  to  the  knight's  house,  whom  he  had  left 
with  his  lady  not  long  before.  It  was  just  at  the 
time  of  sunrise  that  Jack  mounted  his  horse  to  pro- 
ceed on  his  journey. 

He  arrived  at  the  knight's  house,  where  he  was 
received  with  the  greatest  joy  by  the  thankful  knight 
and  his  lady,  who,  in  honour  of  Jack's  exploits,  gave 
a  grand  feast,  to  which  all  the  nobles  and  gentry 
were  invited.  When  the  company  were  assembled, 
the  knight  declared  to  them  the  great  actions  of 
Jack,  and  gave  him,  as  a  mark  of  respect,  a  fine 
ring,  on  which  was  engraved  the  picture  of  the  giant 
dragging  the  knight  and  the  lady  by  the  hair,  with 
this  motto  round  it: 


268     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Knozv 

"  Behold,  in  dire  distress  were  we, 
Under  a  giant's  fierce  command ; 
But  gained  our  lives  and  liberty, 

From  valiant  Jack's  victorious  hand." 

Among  the  guests  then  present  were  five  aged 
gentlemen,  who  were  fathers  to  some  of  those  cap- 
tives who  had  been  freed  by  Jack  from  the  dungeon 
of  the  giants.  As  soon  as  they  heard  that  he  was  the 
person  who  had  done  such  wonders,  they  pressed 
round  him  with  tears  of  joy,  to  return  him  thanks 
for  the  happiness  he  had  caused  to  them.  After  this 
the  bowl  went  round,  and  every  one  drank  to  the 
health  and  long  life  of  the  gallant  hero.  Mirth  in- 
creased, and  the  hall  was  filled  with  peals  of  laugh- 
ter and  joyful  cries.  But,  on  a  sudden,  a  herald, 
pale  and  breathless  with  haste  and  terror,  rushed 
into  the  midst  of  the  company,  and  told  them  that 
Thundel,  a  savage  giant  with  two  heads,  had  heard 
of  the  death  of  his  two  kinsmen,  and  was  come  to 
take  his  revenge  on  Jack;  and  that  he  was  now 
within  a  mile  of  the  house ;  the  people  flying  before 
him  like  chaff  before  the  wind.  At  this  news  the 
very  boldest  of  the  guests  trembled;  but  Jack  drew 
his  sword,  and  said :  "  Let  him  come,  I  have  a  rod 
for  him  also.  Pray,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  do  me  the 
favour  to  walk  into  the  garden,  and  you  shall  soon 
behold  the  giant's  defeat  and  death."  To  this  they 
all  agreed,  and  heartily  wished  him  success  in  his 
dangerous  attempt.  The  knight's  house  stood  in 
the  middle  of  a  moat,  thirty  feet  deep  and  twenty 
wide,  over  which  lay  a  drawbridge.  Jack  set  men 
to  work,  to  cut  the  bridge  on  both  sides,  almost  to 


Jack  the  Giant  Killer  269 

the  middle ;  and  then  dressed  himself  in  his  coat  of 
darkness,  and  went  against  the  giant  with  his  sword 
of  sharpness.  As  he  came  close  to  him,  though  the 
giant  could  not  see  him,  for  his  invisible  coat,  yet  he 
found  some  danger  was  near,  which  made  him  cry 
out: 

"  Fa,  fe,  fi,  fo,  fum, 
I  smell  the  blood  of  an  Englishman ; 
Let  him  be  alive,  or  let  him  be  dead, 
I'll  grind  his  bones  to  make  me  bread." 

"  Say  you  so  my  friend  ?  "  said  Jack,  "  you  are  a 
monstrous  miller  indeed."  "  Art  thou,"  cried  the 
giant,  "  the  villain  that  killed  my  kinsmen  ?  Then 
I  will  tear  thee  with  my  teeth,  and  grind  thy  bones 
to  powder."  "  You  must  catch  me  first,"  said  Jack ; 
and  throwing  off  his  coat  of  darkness,  and  putting 
on  his  shoes  of  swiftness,  he  began  to  run ;  the  giant 
following  him  like  a  walking  castle,  making  the 
earth  shake  at  every  step. 

Jack  led  him  round  and  round  the  walls  of  the 
house,  that  the  company  might  see  the  monster ;  and 
to  finish  the  work  Jack  ran  over  the  drawbridge, 
the  giant  going  after  him  with  his  club.  But  when 
the  giant  came  to  the  middle,  where  the  bridge  had 
been  cut  on  both  sides,  the  great  weight  of  his  body 
made  it  break,  and  he  tumbled  into  the  water,  and 
rolled  about  like  a  large  whale.  Jack  now  stood  by 
the  side  of  the  moat,  and  laughed  and  jeered  at 
him,  saying :  "  I  think  you  told  me,  you  would 
grind  my  bones  to  powder.  When  will  you  begin  ?  " 
The  giant  foamed  at  both  his  horrid  mouths  with 
fury,  and  plunged  from  side  to  side  of  the  moat; 


270     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

but  he  could  not  get  6ut  to  have  revenge  on  his  little 
foe.  At  last  Jack  ordered  a  cart  rope  to  be  brought 
to  him.  He  then  drew  it  over  his  two  heads,  and  by 
the  help  of  a  team  of  horses,  dragged  him  to  the 
edge  of  the  moat,  where  he  cut  off  the  monster's 
heads ;  and  before  he  either  eat  or  drank,  he  sent 
them  both  to  the  court  of  King  Arthur.  He  then 
went  back  to  the  table  with  the  company,  and  the 
rest  of  the  day  was  spent  in  mirth  and  good  cheer. 
After  staying  with  the  knight  for  some  time,  Jack 
grew  weary  of  such  an  idle  life,  and  set  out  again  in 
search  of  new  adventures.  He  went  over  the  hills 
and  dales  without  meeting  any,  till  he  came  to  the 
foot  of  a  very  high  mountain.  Here  he  knocked 
at  the  door  of  a  small  and  lonely  house ;  and  an  old 
man,  with  a  head  as  white  as  snow,  let  him  in. 
"  Good  father,"  said  Jack,  "  can  you  lodge  a  traveller 
who  has  lost  his  way  ?  "  "  Yes/'  said  the  hermit, 
"  I  can,  if  you  will  accept  such  fare  as  my  poor 
house  affords."  Jack  entered,  and  the  old  man  set 
before  him  some  bread  and  fruit  for  his  supper. 
When  Jack  had  eaten  as  much  as  he  chose,  the  her- 
mit said,  "  My  son,  I  know  you  are  the  famous  con- 
queror of  giants ;  now,  on  the  top  of  this  mountain 
is  an  enchanted  castle,  kept  by  a  giant  named  Galli- 
gantus,  who,  by  the  help  of  a  vile  magician,  gets 
many  knights  into  his  castle,  where  he  changes  them 
into  the  shape  of  beasts.  Above  all  I  lament  the 
hard  fate  of  a  duke's  daughter,  whom  they  seized 
as  she  was  walking  in  her  father's  garden,  and 
brought  hither  through  the  air  in  a  chariot  drawn  by 
two  fiery  dragons,  and  turned  her  into  the  shape  of  a 
deer.     Many  knights  have  tried  to  destroy  the  en- 


Jack  the  Giant  Killer  271 

chantment,  and  deliver  her ;  yet  none  have  been  able 
to  do  it,  by  reason  of  two  fiery  griffins  who  guard 
the  gate  of  the  castle,  and  destroy  all  who  come  nigh. 
But  as  you,  my  son,  have  an  invisible  coat,  you  may 
pass  by  them  without  being  seen ;  and  on  the  gates 
of  the  castle,  you  will  find  engraved,  by  what  means 
the  enchantment  may  be  broken." 

Jack  promised,  that  in  the  morning,  at  the  risk  of 
his  life  he  would  break  the  enchantment:  and  after 
a  sound  sleep  he  arose  early,  put  on  his  invisible 
coat,  and  got  ready  for  the  attempt.  When  he  had 
climbed  to  the  top  of  the  mountain,  he  saw  the  two 
fiery  griffins ;  but  he  passed  between  them  without 
the  least  fear  of  danger ;  for  they  could  not  see  him 
because  of  his  invisible  coat.  On  the  castle  gate  he 
found  a  golden  trumpet,  under  which  were  written 
these  lines : 

"  Whoever  can  this  trumpet  blow, 
Shall  cause  the  giant's  overthrow." 

As  soon  as  Jack  had  read  this,  he  seized  the  trum- 
pet, and  blew  a  shrill  blast  which  made  the  gates 
fly  open  and  the  very  castle  itself  tremble.  The 
giant  and  the  conjurer  now  knew  that  their  wicked 
course  was  at  an  end,  and  they  stood  biting  their 
thumbs  and  shaking  with  fear.  Jack,  with  his  sword 
of  sharpness,  soon  killed  the  giant.  The  magician 
was  then  carried  away  by  a  whirlwind  and  every 
knight  and  beautiful  lady,  who  had  been  changed 
into  birds  and  beasts,  returned  to  their  proper  shapes. 
The  castle  vanished  away  like  smoke  and  the  head 
of  the  giant  Galligantus  was  sent  to  King  Arthur. 


272     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

The  knights  and  ladies  rested  that  night  at  the  old 
man's  hermitage,  and  next  day  they  set  out  for  the 
court.  Jack  then  went  up  to  the  king,  and  gave  his 
majesty  an  account  of  all  his  fierce  battles.  Jack's 
fame  had  spread  through  the  whole  country ;  and  at 
the  king's  desire,  the  duke  gave  him  his  daugh- 
ter in  marriage,  to  the  joy  of  all  the  kingdom.  After 
this  the  king  gave  him  a  large  estate;  on  which  he 
and  his  lady  lived  the  rest  of  their  days,  in  joy  and 
content. 


CHAPTER   XIX 


LITTLE   RED  RIDING   HOOD 


Once  upon  a  time  there  lived  in  a  village  a  coun- 
try girl,  who  was  the  sweetest  little  creature  that 
ever  was  seen ;  her  mother  naturally  loved  her  with 
excessive  fondness,  and  her  grandmother  doted  on 
her  still  more.  The  good  woman  had  made  for  her 
a  pretty  little  red-coloured  hood,  which  so  much  be- 
came the  little  girl,  that  every  one  called  her  Little 
Red  Riding  Hood. 

One  day  her  mother  having  made  some  cheese- 
cakes, said  to  her,  "  Go,  my  child,  and  see  how  your 
grandmother  does,  for  I  hear  she  is  ill ;  carry  her 
some  of  these  cakes,  and  a  little  pot  of  butter." 
Little  Red  Riding  Hood  straight  set  out  with  a  bas- 
ket filled  with  the  cakes  and  the  pot  of  butter,  for 
her  grandmother's  house,  which  was  in  a  village  a 
little  way  off  the  town  that  her  mother  lived  in.  As 
she  was  crossing  a  wood,  which  lay  in  her  road,  she 
met  a  large  wolf,  which  had  a  great  mind  to  eat  her 
up,  but  dared  not,  for  fear  of  some  wood-cutters,  who 
were  at  work  near  them  in  the  forest.  Yet  he  spoke 
to  her,  and  asked  her  whither  she  was  going.  The 
little  girl,  who  did  not  know  the  danger  of  talking 
to  a  wolf,  replied :  "  I  am  going  to  see  my  grand- 
mamma, and  carry  these  cakes  and  a  pot  of  butter." 


274    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"  Does  she  live  far  off  ?  "  said  the  wolf.  "  Oh  yes !  " 
answered  Little  Red  Riding  Hood ;  "  beyond  the  mill 
you  see  yonder,  at  the  first  house  in  the  village." 
"  Well,"  said  the  wolf,  "  I  will  take  this  way,  and 
you  take  that,  and  see  which  will  be  there  the  soon- 
est." 

The  wolf  set  out  full  speed,  running  as  fast  as  he 
could,  and  taking  the  nearest  way,  while  the  little 
girl  took  the  longest ;  and  as  she  went  along  began 
to  gather  nuts,  run  after  butterflies,  and  make  nose- 
gays of  such  flowers  as  she  found  within  her  reach. 
The  wolf  got  to  the  dwelling  of  the  grandmother 
first,  and  knocked  at  the  door.  "  Who  is  there  ?  " 
said  some  voice  in  the  house.  "  It  is  your  grand- 
child, Little  Red  Riding  Hood,"  said  the  wolf,  speak- 
ing like  the  little  girl  as  well  as  he  could.  "  I  have 
brought  you  some  cheesecakes,  and  a  little  pot  of 
butter,  that  mamma  has  sent  you."  The  good  old 
woman,  who  was  ill  in  bed,  called  out,  "  Pull  the 
bobbin,  and  the  latch  will  go  up."  The  wolf  pulled 
the  bobbin,  and  the  door  went  open.  The  wolf  then 
jumped  upon  the  poor  old  grandmother,  and  ate  her 
up  in  a  moment,  for  it  was  three  days  since  he  had 
tasted  any  food.  The  wolf  then  shut  the  door,  and 
laid  himself  down  in  the  bed,  and  waited  for  Little 
Red  Riding  Hood,  who  very  soon  after  reached  the 
house.  Tap!  tap!  "  Who  is  there ?"  cried  he.  She 
was  at  first  a  little  afraid  at  hearing  the  gruff  voice 
of  the  wolf,  but  she  thought  that  perhaps  her  grand- 
mother had  got  a  cold,  so  she  answered :  "  It  is  your 
grandchild,  Little  Red  Riding  Hood.  Mamma  has 
sent  you  some  cheesecakes,  and  a  little  pot  of  but- 
ter."   The  -wolf  cried  out  in  a  softer  voice,  "  Pull 


Little  Red  Riding  Hood  275 

the  bobbin,  and  the  latch  will  go  up."  Little  Red 
Riding  Hood  pulled  the  bobbin,  and  the  door  went 
open.  When  she  came  into  the  room,  the  wolf  hid 
himself  under  the  bedclothes,  and  said  to  her,  try- 
ing all  he  could  to  speak  in  a  feeble  voice :  "  Put  the 
basket  on  the  stool,  my  dear,  and  take  off  your 
clothes,  and  come  into  bed."  Little  Red  Riding 
Hood,  who  always  used  to  do  as  she  was  told, 
straight  undressed  herself,  and  stepped  into  bed; 
but  she  thought  it  strange  to  see  how  her  grand- 
mother looked  in  her  nightclothes,  so  she  said  to  her : 
"  Dear  me,  grandmamma,  what  great  arms  you  have 
got !  "  They  are  so  much  the  better  to  hug  you,  my 
child,"  replied  the  wolf.  "  But  grandmamma,"  said 
the  little  girl,  "  what  great  ears  you  have  got !  " 
"  They  are  so  much  the  better  to  hear  you,  my  child," 
replied  the  wolf.  "  But  then,  grandmamma,  what 
great  eyes  you  have  got !  "  said  the  little  girl.  "  They 
are  so  much  the  better  to  see  you,  my  child,"  replied 
the  wolf.  "  And  grandmamma,  what  great  teeth 
you  have  got !  "  said  the  little  girl,  who  now  began 
to  be  rather  afraid.  "  They  are  to  eat  you  up,"  said 
the  wolf;  and  saying  these  words,  the  wicked  crea- 
ture fell  upon  Little  Red  Riding  Hood,  and  ate  her 
up  in  a  moment. 


CHAPTER  XX 


THE   THREE   BEARS 


In  a  far-off  country  there  was  once  a  little  girl 
who  was  called  Silver-hair,  because  her  curly  hair 
shone  brightly.  She  was  a  sad  romp,  and  so  rest- 
less that  she  could  not  be  kept  quiet  at  home,  but 
must  needs  run  out  and  away,  without  leave. 

One  day  she  started  off  into  a  wood  to  gather 
wild  flowers,  and  into  the  fields  to  chase  butterflies. 
She  ran  here  and  she  ran  there,  and  went  so  far, 
at  last,  that  she  found  herself  in  a  lonely  place,  where 
she  saw  a  snug  little  house,  in  which  three  bears 
lived ;  but  they  were  not  then  at  home. 

The  door  was  ajar,  and  Silver-hair  pushed  it  open 
and  found  the  place  to  be  quite  empty,  so  she  made 
up  her  mind  to  go  in  boldly,  and  look  all  about  the 
place,  little  thinking  what  sort  of  people  lived  there. 

Now  the  three  bears  had  gone  out  to  walk  a  little 
before  this.  They  were  the  Big  Bear,  and  the  Mid- 
dle-sized Bear,  and  the  Little  Bear;  but  they  had 
left  their  porridge  on  the  table  to  cool.  So  when 
Silver-hair  came  into  the  kitchen,  she  saw  the  three 
bowls  of  porridge.  She  tasted  the  largest  bowl, 
which  belonged  to  the  Big  Bear,  and  found  it  too 
cold;  then  she  tasted  the  middle-sized  bowl,  which 
belonged  to  the  Middle-sized  Bear,  and  found  it  too 
hot;  then  she  tasted  the  smallest  bowl,  which  be- 


The  Three  Bears  277 

longed  to  the  Little  Bear,  and  it  was  just  right,  and 
she  ate  it  all. 

She  went  into  the  parlour,  and  there  were  three 
chairs.  She  tried  the  biggest  chair,  which  belonged 
to  the  Big  Bear,  and  found  it  too  high ;  then  she 
tried  the  middle-sized  chair,  which  belonged  to  the 
Middle-sized  Bear,  and  she  found  it  too  broad ;  then 
she  tried  the  little  chair,  which  belonged  to  the  Little 
Bear,  and  found  it  just  right,  but  she  sat  in  it  so 
hard  that  she  broke  it. 

Now  Silver-hair  was  by  this  time  very  tired, 
and  she  went  upstairs  to  the  chamber,  and  there  she 
found  three  beds.  She  tried  the  largest  bed,  which 
belonged  to  the  Big  Bear,  and  found  it  too  soft ; 
then  she  tried  the  middle-sized  bed,  which  belonged 
to  the  Middle-sized  Bear,  and  she  found  it  too  hard ; 
then  she  tried  the  smallest  bed,  which  belonged  to  the 
Little  Bear,  and  found  it  just  right,  so  she  lay  down 
upon  it,  and  fell  fast  asleep. 

While  Silver-hair  was  lying  fast  asleep,  the  three 
bears  came  home  from  their  walk.  They  came  into 
the  kitchen,  to  get  their  porridge,  but  when  the  Big 
Bear  went  to  his,  he  growled  out : 

"SOMEBODY  HAS  BEEN  TASTING  MY 
PORRIDGE ! " 

and  the  Middle-sized  Bear  looked  into  his  bowl,  and 
said: 

"  Somebody  has  been  tasting  my  porridge!  " 
and  the  Little  Bear  piped : 

"Somebody  has  tasted  my  porridge  and  eaten  it 
all  up!" 

Then  they  went  into  the  parlour,  and  the  Big  Bear 
growled : 


278     Fairy  l  ales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"  SOMEBODY  HAS  BEEN  SITTING  IN  MYj 
CHAIR ! " 
and  the  Middle-sized  Bear  said : 

"  Somebody  has  been  sitting  in  my  chair  ! " 
and  the  Little  Bear  piped : 

"Somebody  has  been  sitting  in  my  chair,  and 
has  broken  it  all  to  pieces!" 

So  they  went  up-stairs  into  the  chamber,  and  the 
Big  Bear  growled: 

"  SOMEBODY  HAS  BEEN  TUMBLING  MY 
BED !  " 
and  the  Middle-sized  Bear  said : 

"  Somebody  has  been  tumbling  my  bed!  " 
and  the  little  Bear  piped : 

"  Somebody  has  been  tumbling  my  bed,  and  here 
she  is!" 

At  that,  Silver-hair  woke  in  a  fright,  and  jumped 
out  of  the  window  and  ran  away  as  fast  as  her  legs 
could  carry  her,  and  never  went  near  the  Three 
Bears'  snug  little  house  again. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

THE    PRINCESS   ON   THE   PEA 

There  was  once  a  prince  who  wanted  to  marry 
a  princess ;  but  she  was  to  be  a  real  princess.  So  he 
travelled  about,  all  through  the  world,  to  find  a  real 
one,  but  everywhere  there  was  something  in  the 
way.  There  were  princesses  enough,  but  whether 
they  were  real  princesses  he  could  not  quite  make 
out:  there  was  always  something  that  did  not  seem 
quite  right.  So  he  came  home  again,  and  was  quite 
sad :  for  he  wished  so  much  to  have  a  real  princess. 
One  evening  a  terrible  storm  came  on.  It  lightened 
and  thundered,  the  rain  streamed  down ;  it  was 
quite  fearful!  Then  there  was  a  knocking  at  the 
town  gate,  and  the  old  king  went  out  to  open  it. 

It  was  a  princess  who  stood  outside  the  gate. 
But,  mercy !  how  she  looked,  from  the  rain  and  the 
rough  weather !  The  water  ran  down  from  her  hair 
and  her  clothes ;  it  ran  in  at  the  points  of  her  shoes, 
and  out  at  the  heels;  and  yet  she  declared  that  she 
was  a  real  princess. 

"  Yes,  we  will  soon  find  that  out,"  thought  the  old 
queen.  But  she  said  nothing,  only  went  into  the 
bedchamber,  took  all  the  bedding  off,  and  put  a  pea 
on  the  flooring  of  the  bedstead  ;  then  she  took  twenty 
mattresses  and  laid  them  upon  the  pea,  and  then 


280    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

twenty  eider-down  beds  upon  the  mattresses.  On 
this  the  princess  had  to  lie  all  night.  In  the  morn- 
ing she  was  asked  how  she  had  slept. 

"  Oh,  miserably !  "  said  the  princess.  "  I  scarcely 
closed  my  eyes  all  night  long.  Goodness  knows  what 
was  in  my  bed.  I  lay  upon  something  hard,  so  that 
I  am  black  and  blue  all  over.    It  is  quite  dreadful !  " 

Now  they  saw  that  she  was  a  real  princess,  for 
through  the  twenty  mattresses  and  the  twenty  eider- 
down beds  she  had  felt  the  pea.  No  one  but  a  real 
princess  could  be  so  delicate. 

So  the  prince  took  her  for  his  wife,  for  now  he 
knew  that  he  had  a  true  princess ;  and  the  pea  was 
put  in  the  museum,  and  it  is  there  now,  unless  some- 
body has  carried  it  off. 

Look  you,  this  is  a  true  story. 


CHAPTER   XXII 


THE    UGLY   DUCKLING 


It  was  so  glorious  out  in  the  country ;  it  was  sum- 
mer ;  the  cornfields  were  yellow,  the  oats  were  green, 
the  hay  had  been  put  up  in  stacks  in  the  green  mead- 
ows, and  the  stork  went  about  on  his  long  red  legs, 
and  chattered  Egyptian,  for  this  was  the  language  he 
had  learned  from  his  good  mother.  All  around  the 
fields  and  meadows  were  great  forests,  and  in  the 
midst  of  these  forests  lay  deep  lakes.  Yes,  it  was 
right  glorious  out  in  the  country.  In  the  midst  of 
the  sunshine  there  lay  an  old  farm,  with  deep  canals 
about  it,  and  from  the  wall  down  to  the  water  grew 
great  burdocks,  so  high  that  little  children  could 
stand  upright  under  the  loftiest  of  them.  It  was 
just  as  wild  there  as  in  the  deepest  wood,  and  here 
sat  a  Duck  upon  her  nest;  she  had  to  hatch  her 
ducklings ;  but  she  was  almost  tired  out  before  the 
little  ones  came  and  then  she  so  seldom  had  visitors. 
The  other  ducks  liked  better  to  swim  about  in  the 
canals  than  to  run  up  to  sit  down  under  a  burdock, 
and  cackle  with  her. 

At  last  one  egg-shell  after  another  burst  open. 
"  Piep !  piep !  "  it  cried,  and  in  all  the  eggs  there 
were  little  creatures  that  stuck  out  their  heads. 

"  Quack !  quack !  "  they  said ;  and  they  all  came 
quacking  out  as  fast  as  they  could,  looking  all  round 


282     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

them  under  the  green  leaves;  and  the  mother  let 
them  look  as  much  as  they  chose,  for  green  is  good 
for  the  eye. 

"  How  wide  the  world  is ! "  said  all  the  young 
ones,  for  they  certainly  had  much  more  room  now 
than  when  they  were  in  the  eggs. 

"D'ye  think  this  is  all  the  world?"  said  the 
mother.  "  That  stretches  far  across  the  other  side 
of  the  garden,  quite  into  the  parson's  field;  but  I 
have  never  been  there  yet.  I  hope  you  are  all  to- 
gether," and  she  stood  up.  "  No,  I  have  not  all. 
The  largest  egg  still  lies  there.  How  long  is  that  to 
last?  I  am  really  tired  of  it."  And  she  sat  down 
again. 

"  Well,  how  goes  it  ?  "  asked  an  old  Duck  who 
had  come  to  pay  her  a  visit. 

"  It  lasts  a  long  time  with  that  one  egg,"  said  the 
Duck  who  sat  there.  "  It  will  not  burst.  Now,  only 
look  at  the  others ;  are  they  not  the  prettiest  little 
ducks  one  could  possibly  see  ?  They  are  all  like  their 
father.    The  rogue,  he  never  comes  to  see  me." 

"  Let  me  see  the  egg  which  will  not  burst,"  said 
the  old  visitor.  "  You  may  be  sure  it  is  a  turkey's 
egg.  I  was  once  cheated  in  that  way,  and  had  much 
anxiety  and  trouble  with  the  young  ones,  for  they 
are  afraid  of  the  water.  Must  I  say  it  to  you,  I 
could  not  get  them  to  venture  in.  I  quacked  and  I 
clacked,  but  it  was  no  use.  Let  me  see  the  egg. 
Yes,  that's  a  turkey's  egg.  Let  it  lie  there,  and 
teach  the  other  children  to  swim." 

"  I  think  I  will  sit  on  it  a  little  longer,"  said  the 
Duck.  "  I've  sat  so  long  now  that  I  can  sit  a  few. 
days  more." 


The  Ugly  Duckling  283 

"  Just  as  you  please,"  said  the  old  Duck ;  and  she 
went  away. 

At  last  the  great  egg  burst.  "  Piep !  piep !  "  said 
the  little  one,  and  crept  forth.  It  was  very  large  and 
very  ugly.    The  Duck  looked  at  it. 

"  It's  a  very  large  duckling,"  said  she ;  "  none  of 
the  others  look  like  that.  Can  it  really  be  a  turkey 
chick?  Well,  we  shall  soon  find  out.  It  must  go 
into  the  water,  even  if  I  have  to  thrust  it  in  my- 
self." 

The  next  day  it  was  bright,  beautiful  weather; 
the  sun  shone  on  all  the  green  trees.  The  Mother- 
Duck  went  down  to  the  canal  with  all  her  family. 
Splash !  she  jumped  into  the  water.  "  Quack ! 
quack !  "  she  said,  and  one  duckling  after  another 
plunged  in.  The  water  closed  over  their  heads,  but 
they  came  up  in  an  instant,  and  swam  capitally; 
their  legs  went  of  themselves,  and  they  were  all  in 
the  water.  The  ugly  gray  Duckling  swam  with 
them. 

"  No,  it's  not  a  turkey,"  said  she ;  "  look  how  well 
it  can  use  its  legs,  and  how  straight  it  holds  itself. 
It  is  my  own  child !  On  the  whole  it's  quite  pretty, 
if  one  looks  at  it  rightly.  Quack !  quack !  come  with 
me,  and  I'll  lead  you  out  into  the  great  world,  and 
present  you  in  the  duck-yard;  but  keep  close  to  me, 
so  that  no  one  may  tread  on  you,  and  take  care  of 
the  cats !  " 

And  so  they  came  into  the  duck-yard.  There  was 
a  terrible  riot  going  on  in  there,  for  two  families 
were  quarrelling  about  an  eel's  head,  and  the  cat  got 
it  after  all. 

"  See,  that's  how  it  goes  in  the  world ! "  said  the 


284    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Knoiv 

Mother-Duck;  and  she  whetted  her  beak,  for  she 
too  wanted  the  eel's  head.  "  Only  use  your  legs," 
she  said.  "  See  that  you  can  bustle  about,  and  bow 
your  heads  before  the  old  Duck  yonder.  She's  the 
grandest  of  all  here ;  she's  of  Spanish  blood — that's 
why  she's  so  fat;  and  d'ye  see?  she  has  a  red  rag 
round  her  leg ;  that's  something  particularly  fine,  and 
the  greatest  distinction  a  duck  can  enjoy ;  it  signifies 
that  one  does  not  want  to  lose  her,  and  that  she's 
to  be  known  by  the  animals  and  by  men  too.  Shake 
yourselves — don't  turn  in  your  toes ;  a  well  brought- 
up  duck  turns  its  toes  quite  out,  just  like  father  and 
mother — so !  Now  bend  your  necks  and  say 
'  Quack ! '  " 

And  they  did  so :  but  the  other  ducks  round  about 
looked  at  them,  and  said  quite  boldly : 

"  Look  there !  now  we're  to  have  these  hanging 
on,  as  if  there  were  not  enough  of  us  already !  And 
— fie ! — how  that  duckling  yonder  looks ;  we  won't 
stand  that !  "  And  one  duck  flew  up  at  it,  and  bit  it 
in  the  neck. 

"  Let  it  alone,"  said  the  mother;  "  it  does  no  harm 
to  any  one." 

"  Yes,  but  it's  too  large  and  peculiar,"  said  the 
Duck  who  had  bitten  it ;  "  and  therefore  it  must  be 
put  down." 

"  Those  are  pretty  children  that  the  mother  has 
there,"  said  the  old  Duck  with  the  rag  round  her 
leg.  "  They're  all  pretty  but  that  one ;  that  was 
rather  unlucky.    I  wish  she  could  bear  it  over  again." 

"  That  cannot  be  done,  my  lady,"  replied  the 
Mother-Duck.  "  It  is  not  pretty,  but  it  has  a  really 
good  disposition,  and  swims  as  well  as  any  other; 


The  Ugly  Duckling  285 

yes,  I  may  even  say  it,  swims  better.  I  think  it  will 
grow  up  pretty,  and  become  smaller  in  time ;  it  has 
lain  too  long  in  the  egg,  and  therefore  is  not  properly 
shaped."  And  then  she  pinched  it  in  the  neck,  and 
smoothed  its  feathers.  "  Moreover,  it  is  a  drake," 
she  said,  "  and  therefore  it  is  not  of  so  much  conse- 
quence. I  think  he  will  be  very  strong.  He  makes 
his  way  already." 

"  The  other  ducklings  are  graceful  enough,"  said 
the  old  Duck.  "  Make  yourself  at  home ;  and  if  you 
find  an  eel's  head,  you  may  bring  it  me." 

And  now  they  were  at  home.  But  the  poor  Duck- 
ling which  had  crept  last  out  of  the  egg,  and  looked 
so  ugly,  was  bitten  and  pushed  and  jeered,  as  much 
by  the  ducks  as  by  the  chickens. 

"  It  is  too  big !  "  they  all  said.  And  the  turkey- 
cock,  who  had  been  born  with  spurs,  and  therefore 
thought  himself  an  emperor,  blew  himself  up  like  a 
ship  in  full  sail,  and  bore  straight  down  upon  it ;  then 
he  gobbled  and  grew  quite  red  in  the  face.  The  poor 
Duckling  did  not  know  where  it  should  stand  or 
walk ;  it  was  quite  melancholy  because  it  looked 
ugly,  and  was  the  butt  of  the  whole  duck-yard. 

So  it  went  on  the  first  day ;  and  afterwards  it  be- 
came worse  and  worse.  The  poor  Duckling  was 
hunted  about  by  every  one ;  even  its  brothers  and 
sisters  were  quite  angry  with  it,  and  said,  "  If  the 
cat  would  only  catch  you,  you  ugly  creature !  "  And 
the  mother  said,  "If  you  were  only  far  away!" 
And  the  ducks  bit  it,  and  the  chickens  beat  it,  and  the 
girl  who  had  to  feed  the  poultry  kicked  at  it  with  her 
foot. 


286     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

Then  it  ran  and  flew  over  the  fence,  and  the  little 
birds  in  the  bushes  flew  up  in  fear.  -^ 

"  That  is  because  I  am  so  ugly !  "  thought  the 
Duckling;  and  it  shut  its  eyes,  but  flew  on  farther, 
and  so  it  came  out  into  the  great  moor,  where  the 
wild  ducks  lived.  Here  it  lay  the  whole  night  long; 
and  it  was  weary  and  downcast. 

Towards  morning  the  wild  ducks  flew  up,  and 
looked  at  their  new  companion. 

"  What  sort  of  a  one  are  you  ?  "  they  asked ;  and 
the  Duckling  turned  in  every  direction,  and  bowed 
as  well  as  it  could.  "  You  are  remarkably  ugly ! " 
said  the  Wild  Ducks.  "  But  that  is  nothing  to  us, 
so  long  as  you  do  not  marry  into  our  family." 

Poor  thing!  it  certainly  did  not  think  of  marry- 
ing, and  only  hoped  to  obtain  leave  to  lie  among  the 
reeds  and  drink  some  of  the  swamp  water. 

Thus  it  lay  two  whole  days ;  then  came  thither 
two  wild  geese,  or,  property  speaking,  two  wild 
ganders.  It  was  not  long  since  each  had  crept  out 
of  an  egg,  and  that's  why  they  were  so  saucy. 

"  Listen,  comrade,"  said  one  of  them.  "  You're 
so  ugly  that  I  like  you.  Will  you  go  with  us,  and 
become  a  bird  of  passage?  Near  here,  in  another 
moor,  there  are  a  few  sweet  lovely  wild  geese,  all 
unmarried,  and  all  able  to  say  '  Rap ! '  You've  a 
chance  of  making  your  fortune,  ugly  as  you  are." 

"  Piff !  paff !  "  resounded  through  the  air ;  and  the 
two  ganders  fell  down  dead  in  the  swamp,  and  the 
water  became  blood  red.  "  Piff !  paff !  "  it  sounded 
again,  and  the  whole  flock  of  wild  geese  rose  up 
from  the  reeds.  And  then  there  was  another  report. 
A  great  hunt  was  going  on.     The  sportsmen  were 


The  Ugly  Duckling  287 

lying  in  wait  all  round  the  moor,  and  some  were 
even  sitting  up  in  the  branches  of  the  trees,  which 
spread  far  over  the  reeds.  The  blue  smoke  rose  up 
like  clouds  among  the  dark  trees,  and  was  wafted  far 
away  across  the  water ;  and  the  hunting  dogs  came — 
splash,  splash ! — into  the  swamp,  and  the  rushes  and 
the  reeds  bent  down  on  every  side.  That  was  a  fright 
for  the  poor  Duckling!  It  turned  its  head,  and  put 
it  under  its  wing;  but  at  that  moment  a  frightful 
great  dog  stood  close  by  the  Duckling.  His  tongue 
hung  far  out  of  his  mouth,  and  his  eyes  gleamed  hor- 
rible and  ugly ;  he  thrust  out  his  nose  close  against 
the  Duckling,  showed  his  sharp  teeth,  and — splash, 
splash  ! — on  he  went,  without  seizing  it. 

"  Oh,  Heaven  be  thanked !  "  sighed  the  Duckling. 
"  I  am  so  ugly  that  even  the  dog  does  not  like  to  bite 
me!" 

And  so  it  lay  quite  quiet,  while  the  shots  rattled 
through  the  reeds  and  gun  after  gun  was  fired.  At 
last,  late  in  the  day,  all  was  still ;  but  the  poor  Duck- 
ling did  not  dare  to  rise  up ;  it  waited  several  hours 
before  it  looked  round,  and  then  hastened  away  out 
of  the  moor  as  fast  as  it  could.  It  ran  on  over  field 
and  meadow ;  there  was  such  a  storm  raging  that 
it  was  difficult  to  get  from  one  place  to  another. 

Towards  evening  the  Duck  came  to  a  little  misera- 
ble peasant's  hut.  This  hut  was  so  dilapidated  that 
it  did  not  itself  know  on  which  side  it  should  fall; 
and  that's  why  it  remained  standing.  The  storm 
whistled  round  the  Duckling  in  such  a  way  that  the 
poor  creature  was  obliged  to  sit  down,  to  stand 
against  it;  and  the  wind  blew  worse  and  worse. 
Then  the  Duckling  noticed  that  one  of  the  hinges 


288     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

of  the  door  had  given  way,  and  the  door  hung  so 
slanting  that  the  Duckling  could  slip  through  the 
crack  into  the  room ;  and  that  is  what  it  did. 

Here  lived  a  woman,  with  her  Cat  and  her  Hen. 
And  the  Cat,  whom  she  called  Sonnie,  could  arch 
his  back  and  purr,  he  could  even  give  out  sparks; 
but  to  make  him  do  it  one  had  to  stroke  his  fur  the 
wrong  way.  The  Hen  had  quite  little,  short  legs, 
and  therefore  she  was  called  Chickabiddy  Short- 
shanks.  She  laid  good  eggs,  and  the  woman  loved 
her  like  her  own  child. 

In  the  morning  the  strange  Duckling  was  at  once 
noticed,  and  the  Cat  began  to  purr  and  the  Hen  to 
cluck. 

"  What's  this  ?  "  said  the  woman,  and  looked  all 
round ;  but  she  could  not  see  well,  and  therefore  she 
thought  the  Duckling  was  a  fat  duck  that  had 
strayed.  "  This  is  a  rare  prize !  "  she  said.  "  Now 
I  shall  have  duck's  eggs.  I  hope  it  is  not  a  drake. 
We  must  try  that." 

And  so  the  Duckling  was  admitted  on  trial  for 
three  weeks ;  but  no  eggs  came.  And  the  Cat  was 
master  of  the  House,  and  the  Hen  was  the  lady,  and 
always  said,  "  We  and  the  world !  "  for  she  thought 
they  were  half  the  world,  and  by  far  the  better  half. 

The  Duckling  thought  one  might  have  a  different 
opinion,  but  the  Hen  would  not  allow  it. 

"  Can  you  lay  eggs?  "  she  asked. 

"  No." 

"  Then  will  you  hold  your  tongue !  " 

And  the  Cat  said,  "  Can  you  curve  your  back,  and 
purr,  and  give  out  sparks  ?  " 

"No."  " 


The  Ugly  Duckling  289 

"  Then  you  will  please  have  no  opinion  of  your 
own  when  sensible  folks  are  speaking."  ^ 

And  the  Duckling  sat  in  a  corner  and  was  mel- 
ancholy ;  then  the  fresh  air  and  the  sunshine 
streamed  in ;  and  it  was  seized  with  such  a  strange 
longing  to  swim  on  the  water,  that  it  could  not  hel 
telling  the  Hen  of  it. 

"  What  are  you  thinking  of  ?  "  cried  the  Hen. 
"  You  have  nothing  to  do,  that's  why  you  have  these 
fancies.    Lay  eggs,  or  purr,  and  they  will  pass  over." 

"  But  it  is  so  charming  to  swim  on  the  water !  " 
said  the  Duckling,  "  so  refreshing  to  let  it  close 
above  one's  head,  and  to  dive  down  to  the  bottom." 

"  Yes,  that  must  be  a  mighty  pleasure,  truly," 
quoth  the  Hen,  "  I  fancy  you  must  have  gone  crazy. 
Ask  the  Cat  about  it — he's  the  cleverest  animal  I 
know — ask  him  if  he  likes  to  swim  on  the  water,  or 
to  dive  down — I  won't  speak  about  myself.  Ask 
our  mistress,  the  old  woman ;  no  one  in  the  world  is 
cleverer  than  she.  Do  you  think  she  has  any  de- 
sire to  swim,  and  to  let  the  water  close  above  her 
head?  " 

"  You  don't  understand  me,"  said  the  Duckling. 

"  We  don't  understand  you?  Then  pray  who  is  to 
understand  you?  You  surely  don't  pretend  to  be 
cleverer  than  the  Cat  and  the  woman — I  won't  say 
anything  of  myself.  Don't  be  conceited,  child,  and 
thank  your  Maker  for  all  the  kindness  you  have  re- 
ceived. Did  you  not  get  into  a  warm  room,  and 
have  you  not  fallen  into  company  from  which  you 
may  learn  something?  But  you  are  a  chatterer,  and 
it  is  not  pleasant  to  associate  with  you.  You  may 
believe  me,  I  speak  for  your  good.     I  tell  you  dis- 


re  I 


290    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

agreeable  things,  and  by  that  one  may  always  know 
one's  true  friends !  Only  take  care  that  you  learn  to 
lay  eggs,  or  to  purr,  and  give  out  sparks !  " 

"  I  think  I  will  go  out  into  the  wide  world,"  said 
Jthe  Duckling. 

"  Yes,  do  go,"  replied  the  Hen. 

And  so  the  Duckling  went  away.  It  swam  on  the 
water,  and  dived,  but  It  was  slighted  by  every 
creature  because  of  its  ugliness. 

Now  came  the  autumn.  The  leaves  in  the  forest 
turned  yellow  and  brown ;  the  wind  caught  them  so 
that  they  danced  about,  and  up  in  the  air  it  was  very 
Cold.  The  clouds  hung  low,  heavy  with  hail  and 
snow-flakes,  and  on  the  fence  stood  the  raven,  cry- 
ing, "  Croak !  croak !  "  for  mere  cold ;  yes,  it  was 
enough  to  make  one  feel  cold  to  think  of  this.  The 
poor  little  Duckling  certainly  had  not  a  good  time. 
One  evening — the  sun  was  just  setting  in  his  beauty 
— there  came  a  whole  flock  of  great,  handsome  birds 
out  of  the  bushes.  They  were  dazzlingly  white,  with 
long,  flexible  necks — they  were  swans.  They  ut- 
tered a  very  peculiar  cry,  spread  forth  their  glorious 
great  wings,  and  flew  away  from  that  cold  region 
to  warmer  lands,  to  fair  open  lakes.  They  mounted 
so  high,  so  high !  and  the  ugly  Duckling  felt  quite 
strangely  as  it  watched  them.  It  turned  round  and 
round  in  the  water  like  a  wheel,  stretched  out  its 
neck  towards  them,  and  uttered  such  a  strange  loud 
cry  as  frightened  itself.  Oh !  it  could  not  forget 
those  beautiful,  happy  birds ;  and  so  soon  as  it  could 
see  them  no  longer,  it  dived  down  to  the  very  bottom, 
and  when  it  came  up  again  it  was  quite  beside  itself. 
It  knew  not  the  name  of  those  birds,  and  knew  not 


The  Ugly  Duckling  291 

whither  they  were  flying;  but  it  loved  them  more 
than  it  had  ever  loved  any  one.  It  was  not  at  all 
envious  of  them.  How  could  it  think  of  wishing  to 
possess  such  loveliness  as  they  had  ?  It  would  have 
been  glad  if  only  the  ducks  would  have  endured  its 
company — the  poor,  ugly  creature! 

And  the  winter  grew  cold,  very  cold !  The  Duck- 
ling was  forced  to  swim  about  in  the  water,  to  pre- 
vent the  surface  from  freezing  entirely;  but  every 
night  the  hole  in  which  it  swam  about  became 
smaller  and  smaller.  It  froze  so  hard  that  the  icy 
covering  crackled  again ;  and  the  Duckling  was 
obliged  to  use  its  legs  continually  to  prevent  the 
hole  from  freezing  up.  At  last  it  became  exhausted, 
and  lay  quite  still,  and  thus  froze  fast  into  the  ice. 

Early  in  the  morning  a  peasant  came  by,  and  when 
he  saw  what  had  happened,  he  took  his  wooden 
shoe,  broke  the  ice-crust  to  pieces,  and  carried  the 
Duckling  home  to  his  wife.  Then  it  came  to  itself 
again.  The  children  wanted  to  play  with  it ;  but  the 
Duckling  thought  they  wanted  to  hurt  it,  and  in  its 
terror  fluttered  up  into  the  milk-pan,  so  that  the 
milk  spurted  down  into  the  room.  The  woman 
clasped  her  hands,  at  which  the  Duckling  flew  down 
into  the  butter-tub,  and  then  into  the  meal-barrel  and 
out  again.  How  it  looked  then!  The  woman 
screamed,  and  struck  at  it  with  the  fire-tongs;  the 
children  tumbled  over  one  another  in  their  efforts  to 
catch  the  Duckling;  and  they  laughed  and  they 
screamed ! — well  it  was  that  the  door  stood  open,  and 
the  poor  creature  was  able  to  slip  out  between  the 
shrubs  into  the  newly-fallen  snow — there  it  lay  quite 
exhausted. 


292     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Knozv 

But  it  would  be  too  melancholy  if  I  were  to  tell  all 
the  misery  and  care  which  the  Duckling  had  to  en- 
dure in  the  hard  winter.  It  lay  out  on  the  moor 
among  the  reeds,  when  the  sun  began  to  shine  again 
and  the  larks  to  sing.    It  was  a  beautiful  spring. 

Then  all  at  once  the  Duckling  could  flap  its  wings. 
They  beat  the  air  more  strongly  than  before,  and 
bore  it  strongly  away;  and  before  it  well  knew  how 
all  this  happened,  it  found  itself  in  a  great  garden, 
where  the  elder-trees  smelt  sweet,  and  bent  their 
long  green  branches  down  to  the  canal  that  wound 
through  the  region.  Oh,  here  it  was  so  beautiful, 
such  a  gladness  of  spring !  and  from  the  thicket  came 
three  glorious  white  swans ;  they  rustled  their  wings, 
and  swam  lightly  on  the  water.  The  Duckling  knew 
the  splendid  creatures,  and  felt,  oppressed  by  a  pe- 
culiar sadness. 

"  I  will  fly  away  to  them,  to  the  royal  birds,  and 
they  will  beat  me,  because  I,  that  am  so  ugly,  dare  to 
come  near  them.  But  it  is  all  the  same.  Better  to 
be  killed  by  them  than  to  be  pursued  by  ducks,  and 
beaten  by  fowls,  and  pushed  about  by  the  girl  who 
takes  care  of  the  poultry  yard,  and  to  suffer  hunger 
in  winter !  "  And  it  flew  out  into  the  water,  and 
swam  towards  the  beautiful  swans ;  these  looked  at 
it,  and  came  sailing  down  upon  it  with  outspread 
wings.  "  Kill  me !  "  said  the  poor  creature,  and  bent 
its  head  down  upon  the  water,  expecting  nothing  but 
death.  But  what  was  this  that  it  saw  in  the  clear 
water  ?  It  beheld  its  own  image ;  and,  lo !  it  was  no 
longer  a  clumsy  dark-gray  bird,  ugly  and  hateful 
to  look  at,  but  a  — swan ! 


The  Ugly  Duckling  293 

It  matters  nothing  if  one  is  born  in  a  duck-yard 
if  one  has  only  lain  in  a  swan's  egg. 

It  felt  quite  glad  at  all  the  need  and  misfortune 
it  had  suffered,  now  it  realised  its  happiness  in  all  the 
splendour  that  surrounded  it.  And  the  great  swans 
swam  round  it,  and  stroked  it  with  their  beaks. 

Into  the  garden  came  little  children,  who  threw 
bread  and  corn  into  the  water;  and  the  youngest 
cried,  "  There  is  a  new  one !  "  and  the  other  children 
shouted  joyously,  "  Yes,  a  new  one  has  arrived !  " 
And  they  clapped  their  hands  and  danced  about,  and 
ran  to  their  father  and  mother ;  and  bread  and  cake 
were  thrown  into  the  water ;  and  they  all  said,  "  The 
new  one  is  the  most  beautiful  of  all !  so  young  and 
handsome !  "  and  the  old  swans  bowed  their  heads 
before  him.  Then  he  felt  quite  ashamed,  and  hid  his 
head  under  his  wings,  for  he  did  not  know  what  to 
do ;  he  was  so  happy,  and  yet  not  at  all  proud.  He 
thought  how  he  had  been  persecuted  and  despised; 
and  now  he  heard  them  saying  that  he  was  the  most 
beautiful  of  all  birds.  Even  the  elder-tree  bent  its 
branches  straight  down  into  the  water  before  him, 
and  the  sun  shone  warm  and  mild.  Then  his  wings 
rustled,  he  lifted  his  slender  neck,  and  cried  rejoic- 
ingly from  the  depths  of  his  heart : 

"  I  never  dreamed  of  so  much  happiness  when  I 
was  the  Ugly  Duckling !  " 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE  LIGHT  PRINCESS 


What!    No  Children ? 

Once  upon  a  time,  so  long  ago  that  I  have  quite 
forgotten  the  date,  there  lived  a  king  and  queen  who 
had  no  children. 

And  the  king  said  to  himself,  "  All  the  queens  of 
my  acquaintance  have  children,  some  three,  some 
seven,  and  some  as  many  as  twelve;  and  my  queen 
has  not  one.  I  fell  ill-used."  So  he  made  up  his 
mind  to  be  cross  with  his  wife  about  it.  But  she 
bore  it  all  like  a  good  patient  queen  as  she  was. 
Then  the  king  grew  very  cross  indeed.  But  the 
queen  pretended  to  take  it  all  as  a  joke,  and  a  very 
good  one  too. 

"  Why  don't  you  have  any  daughters,  at  least  ?  " 
said  he.  "  I  don't  say  sons;  that  might  be  too  much 
to  expect." 

"  I  am  sure,  dear  king,  I  am  very  sorry,"  said  the 
queen. 

"  So  you  ought  to  be,"  retorted  the  king ;  "  you 
are  not  going  to  make  a  virtue  of  that,  surely." 


The  Light  Princess  295 

But  he  was  not  an  ill-tempered  king,  and  in  any 
matter  of  less  moment  would  have  let  the  queen 
have  her  own  way  with  all  his  heart.  This,  however, 
was  an  affair  of  State. 

The  queen  smiled. 

"  You  must  have  patience  with  a  lady,  you  know, 
dear  king,"  said  she. 

She  was,  indeed,  a  very  nice  queen,  and  heartily 
sorry  that  she  could  not  oblige  the  king  immediately. 

The  king  tried  to  have  patience,  but  he  succeeded 
very  badly.  It  was  more  than  he  deserved,  therefore, 
when,  at  last,  the  queen  gave  him  a  daughter — as 
lovely  a  little  princess  as  ever  cried. 


II 
Won't  I,  Just? 

The  day  drew  near  when  the  infant  must  He 
christened.  The  king  wrote  all  the  invitations  with 
his  own  hand.    Of  course  somebody  was  forgotten. 

Now  it  does  not  generally  matter  if  somebody  is 
forgotten,  only  you  must  mind  who.  Unfortunately, 
the  king  forgot  without  intending  to  forget ;  and  so 
the  chance  fell  upon  the  Princess  Makemnoit,  which 
was  awkward.  For  the  princess  was  the  king's  own 
sister ;  and  he  ought  not  to  have  forgotten  her.  But 
she  had  made  herself  so  disagreeable  to  the  old  king, 
their  father,  that  he  had  forgotten  her  in  making 
his  will ;  and  so  it  was  no  wonder  that  her  brother 
forgot  her  in  writing  his  invitations.  But  poor  re- 
lations don't  do  anything  to  keep  you  in  mind  of 


296    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

them.  Why  don't  they?  The  king  could  not  see 
into  the  garret  she  lived  in,  could  he  ? 

She  was  a  sour,  spiteful  creature.  The  wrinkles 
of  contempt  crossed  the  wrinkles  of  peevishness,  and 
made  her  face  as  full  of  wrinkles  as  a  pat  of  butter. 
If  ever  a  king  could  be  justified  in  forgetting  any- 
body, this  king  was  justified  in  forgetting  his  sister, 
even  at  a  christening.  She  looked  very  odd,  too. 
Her  forehead  was  as  large  as  all  the  rest  of  her  face, 
and  projected  over  it  like  a  precipice.  When  she 
was  angry,  her  little  eyes  flashed  blue.  When  she 
hated  anybody,  they  shone  yellow  and  green.  What 
they  looked  like  when  she  loved  anybody,  I  do  not 
know ;  for  I  never  heard  of  her  loving  anybody  but 
herself,  and  I  do  not  think  she  could  have  man- 
aged that  if  she  had  not  somehow  got  used  to  herself. 
But  what  made  it  highly  imprudent  in  the  king  to 
forget  her  was — that  she  was  awfully  clever.  In 
fact,  she  was  a  witch ;  and  when  she  bewitched  any- 
body, he  very  soon  had  enough  of  it;  for  she  beat 
all  the  wicked  fairies  in  wickedness,  and  all  the 
clever  ones  in  cleverness.  She  despised  all  the  modes 
we  read  of  in  history,  in  which  offended  fairies  and 
witches  have  taken  their  revenges;  and  therefore, 
after  waiting  and  waiting  in  vain  for  an  invitation, 
she  made  up  her  mind  at  last  to  go  without  one,  and 
make  the  whole  family  miserable,  like  a  princess  as 
she  was. 

So  she  put  on  her  best  gown,  went  to  the  palace, 
was  kindly  received  by  the  happy  monarch,  who  for- 
got that  he  had  forgotten  her,  and  took  her  place  in 
the  procession  to  the  royal  chapel.  When  they  were 
all  gathered  about  the  font,  she  contrived  to  get  next 


The  Light  Princess  297 

to  it,  and  throw  something  into  the  water;  after 
which  she  maintained  a  very  respectful  demeanour 
till  the  water  was  applied  to  the  child's  face.  But  at 
that  moment  she  turned  round  in  her  place  three 
times,  and  muttered  the  following  words,  loud 
enough  for  those  beside  her  to  hear : 

"  Light  of  spirit,  by  my  charms, 
Light  of  body,  every  part, 
Never  weary  human  arms — 
Only  crush  thy  parents'  heart !  " 

They  all  thought  she  had  lost  her  wits,  and  was 
repeating  some  foolish  nursery  rhyme ;  but  a  shud- 
der went  through  the  whole  of  them  notwithstand- 
ing. The  baby,  on  the  contrary,  began  to  laugh  and 
crow ;  while  the  nurse  gave  a  start  and  a  smothered 
cry,  for,  she  thought  she  was  struck  with  paralysis : 
she  could  not  feel  the  baby  in  her  arms.  But  she 
clasped  it  tight  and  said  nothing. 

The  mischief  was  done. 


Ill 

She  Can't  Be  Ours! 

Her  atrocious  aunt  had  deprived  the  child  of  all 
her  gravity.  If  you  ask  me  how  this  was  effected,  I 
answer,  "  In  the  easiest  way  in  the  world.  She 
had  only  to  destroy  gravitation."  For  the  princess 
was  a  philosopher,  and  knew  all  the  ins  and  outs  of 
the  laws  of  gravitation  as  well  as  the  ins  and  outs 
of  her  boot-lace.     And  being  a  witch  as  well,  she 


298     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

could  abrogate  those  laws  in  a  moment;  or  at  least 
so  clog  their  wheels  and  rust  their  bearings  that 
they  would  not  work  at  all.  But  we  have  more  to  do 
with  what  followed  than  with  how  it  was  done. 

The  first  awkwardness  that  resulted  from  this  un- 
happy privation  was,  that  the  moment  the  nurse  be- 
gan to  float  the  baby  up  and  down,  she  flew  from 
her  arms  towards  the  ceiling.  Happily,  the  resist- 
ance of  the  air  brought  her  ascending  career  to  a 
close  within  a  foot  of  it.  There  she  remained,  hori- 
zontal as  when  she  left  her  nurse's  arms,  kicking  and 
laughing  amazingly.  The  nurse  in  terror  flew  to  the 
bell,  and  begged  the  footman,  who  answered  it,  to 
bring  up  the  house-steps  directly.  Trembling  in 
every  limb,  she  climbed  upon  the  steps,  and  had  to 
stand  upon  the  very  top,  and  reach  up,  before  she 
could  catch  the  floating  tail  of  the  baby's  long 
clothes. 

When  the  strange  fact  came  to  be  known,  there 
was  a  terrible  commotion  in  the  palace.  The  occa- 
sion of  its  discovery  by  the  king  was  naturally  a 
repetition  of  the  nurse's  experience.  Astonished  that 
he  felt  no  weight  when  the  child  was  laid  in  his 
arms,  he  began  to  wave  her  up  and — not  down ;  for 
she  slowly  ascended  to  the  ceiling  as  before,  and 
there  remained  floating  in  perfect  comfort  and  satis- 
faction, as  was  testified  by  her  peals  of  tiny  laughter. 
The  king  stood  staring  up  in  speechless  amazement, 
and  trembled  so  that  his  beard  shook  like  grass  in  the 
wind.  At  last,  turning  to  the  queen,  who  was  just  as 
horror-struck  as  himself,  he  said,  gasping,  staring, 
and  stammering : 

"  She  can't  be  ours,  queen !  " 


The  Light  Princess  299 

Now  the  queen  was  much  cleverer  than  the  king, 
and  had  begun  already  to  suspect  that  "  this  effect 
defective  came  by  cause." 

"  I  am  sure  she  is  ours,"  answered  she.  "  But  we 
ought  to  have  taken  better  care  of  her  at  the  christ- 
ening. People  who  were  never  invited  ought  not  to 
have  been  present." 

"  Oh,  ho !  "  said  the  king,  tapping  his  forehead 
with  his  forefinger,  "  I  have  it  all.  I've  found  her 
out.  Don't  you  see  it,  queen  ?  Princess  Makemnoit 
has  bewitched  her." 

"  That's  just  what  I  say,"  answered  the  queen. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  my  love ;  I  did  not  hear  you. 
John !  bring  the  steps  I  get  on  my  throne  with." 

For  he  was  a  little  king  with  a  great  throne,  like 
many  other  kings. 

The  throne-steps  were  brought,  and  set  upon  the 
dining-table,  and  John  got  upon  the  top  of  them. 
But  he  could  not  reach  the  little  princess,  who  lay 
like  a  baby-laughter-cloud  in  the  air,  exploding  con- 
tinuously. 

"Take  the  tongs,  John,"  said  his  Majesty;  and 
getting  up  on  the  table,  he  handed  them  to  him. 

John  could  reach  the  baby  now,  and  the  little 
princess  was  handed  down  by  the  tongs. 


IV 

Where  Is  She? 

One  fine  summer  day,  a  month  after  these  her 
first  adventures,  during  which  time  she  had  been 


300    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

very  carefully  watched,  the  princess  was  lying  on 
the  bed  in  the  queen's  own  chamber,  fast  asleep. 
One  of  the  windows  was  open,  for  it  was  noon,  and 
the  day  was  so  sultry  that  the  little  girl  was  wrapped 
in  nothing  less  ethereal  than  slumber  itself.  The 
queen  came  into  the  room,  and  not  observing  that 
the  baby  was  on  the  bed,  opened  another  window. 
A  frolicsome  fairy  wind,  which  had  been  watching 
for  a  chance  of  mischief,  rushed  in  at  the  one  win- 
dow, and  taking  its  way  over  the  bed  where  the 
child  was  lying,  caught  her  up,  and  rolling  and  float- 
ing her  along  like  a  piece  of  flue,  or  a  dandelion  seed, 
carried  her  with  it  through  the  opposite  window,  and 
away.  The  queen  went  down-stairs,  quite  ignorant 
of  the  loss  she  had  herself  occasioned. 

When  the  nurse  returned,  she  supposed  that  her 
Majesty  had  carried  her  off,  and,  dreading  a  scold- 
ing, delayed  making  inquiry  about  her.  But  hearing 
nothing,  she  grew  uneasy,  and  went  at  length  to  the 
queen's  boudoir,  where  she  found  her  Majesty. 

"Please,  your  Majesty,  shall  I  take  the  baby?" 
said  she. 

"  Where  is  she  ?  "  asked  the  queen. 

"  Please  forgive  me.    I  know  it  was  wrong." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  said  the  queen,  looking 
grave. 

"  Oh !  don't  frighten  me,  your  Majesty !  "  ex- 
claimed the  nurse,  clasping  her  hands. 

The  queen  saw  that  something  was  amiss,  and  fell 
down  in  a  faint.  The  nurse  rushed  about  the  palace, 
screaming,  "  My  baby !  my  baby !  " 

Every  one  ran  to  the  queen's  room.  But  the  queen 
could  gyve  no  orders.    They  soon  found  out,  how- 


The  Light  Princess  301 

ever,  that  the  princess  was  missing-,  and  in  a  moment 
the  palace  was  like  a  beehive  in  a  garden ;  and  in  one 
minute  more  the  queen  was  brought  to  herself  by  a 
great  shout  and  a  clapping  of  hands.  They  had 
found  the  princess  fast  asleep  under  a  rose-bush,  to 
which  the  elfish  little  wind-puff  had  carried  her,  fin- 
ishing its  michief  by  shaking  a  shower  of  red  rose- 
leaves  all  over  the  little  white  sleeper.  Startled  by 
the  noise  the  servants  made,  she  woke,  and,  furious 
with  glee,  scattered  the  rose-leaves  in  all  directions, 
like  a  shower  of  spray  in  the  sunset. 

She  was  watched  more  carefully  after  this,  no 
doubt ;  yet  it  would  be  endless  to  relate  all  the  odd 
incidents  resulting  from  this  peculiarity  of  the  young 
princess.  But  there  never  was  a  baby  in  a  house, 
not  to  say  a  palace,  that  kept  the  household  in  such 
constant  good  humour,  at  least  below-stairs.  If  it 
was  not  easy  for  her  nurses  to  hold  her,  at  least  she 
made  neither  their  arms  nor  their  hearts  ache.  And 
she  was  so  nice  to  play  at  ball  with !  There  was 
positively  no  danger  of  letting  her  fall.  They  might 
throw  her  down,  or  knock  her  down,  or  push  her 
down,  but  they  couldn't  let  her  down.  It  is  true, 
they  might  let  her  fly  into  the  fire  or  the  coal-hole, 
or  through  the  window ;  but  none  of  these  accidents 
had  happened  as  yet.  If  you  heard  peals  of  laughter 
resounding  from  some  unknown  region,  you  might 
be  sure  enough  of  the  cause.  Going  down  into  the 
kitchen,  or  the  room,  you  would  find  Jane  and 
Thomas,  and  Robert  and  Susan,  all  and  sum,  play- 
ing at  ball  with  the  little  princess.  She  was  the 
ball  herself,  and  did  not  enjoy  it  the  less  for  that. 
Away  she  went,  flying  from  one  to  another,  screech- 


302     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

ing  with  laughter.  And  the  servants  loved  the  baH 
itself  better  even  than  the  game.  But  they  had  to 
take  some  care  how  they  threw  her,  for  if  she  re- 
ceived an  upward  direction,  she  would  never  come 
down  again  without  being  fetched. 


V 
What  Is  to  Be  Done? 

But  above-stairs  it  was  different.  One  day,  for 
instance,  after  breakfast,  the  king  went  into  his 
counting-house,  and  counted  out  his  money. 

The  operation  gave  him  no  pleasure. 

"  To  think,"  said  he  to  himself,  "  that  every  one  of 
these  gold  sovereigns  weighs  a  quarter  of  an  ounce, 
and  my  real,  live,  flesh-and-blood  princess  weighs 
nothing  at  all !  "  * 

And  he  hated  his  gold  sovereigns,  as  they  lay  with 
a  broad  smile  of  self-satisfaction  all  over  their  yel- 
low faces. 

The  queen  was  in  the  parlour,  eating  bread  and 
honey.  But  at  the  second  mouthful  she  burst  out 
crying,  and  could  not  swallow  it.  The  king  heard 
her  sobbing.  Glad  of  anybody,  but  especially  of  his 
queen,  to  quarrel  with,  he  clashed  his  gold  sovereigns 
into  his  money-box,  clapped  his  crown  on  his  head, 
and  rushed  into  the  parlour. 

"  What  is  all  this  about  ?  "  exclaimed  he.  "  What 
are  you  crying  for,  queen  ?  " 

"  I  can't  eat  it,"  said  the  queen,  looking  ruefully  at 
the  honey-pot. 


The  Light  Princess  30^ 

"  No  wonder !  "  retorted  the  king.  "  You've  just 
eaten  your  breakfast — two  turkey  eggs,  and  three 
anchovies." 

"  Oh,  that's  not  it !  "  sobbed  her  Majesty.  "  It's 
my  child,  my  child !  " 

"  Well,  what's  the  matter  with  your  child  ?  She's 
neither  up  the  chimney  nor  down  the  draw-well. 
Just  hear  her  laughing." 

Yet  the  king  could  not  help  a  sigh,  which  he  tried 
to  turn  into  a  cough,  saying: 

"  It  is  a  good  thing  to  be  light-hearted,  I  am  sure, 
whether  she  be  ours  or  not." 

"  It  is  a  bad  thing  to  be  light-headed,"  answered 
the  queen,  looking  with  prophetic  soul  far  into  the 
future. 

"  'T  is  a  good  thing  to  be  light-handed,"  said  the 
king. 

"  'T  is  a  bad  thing  to  be  light-fingered,"  answered 
the  queen. 

"  T  is  a  good  thing  to  be  light-footed,"  said  the 
king. 

"  'T  is  a  bad  thing —  "  began  the  queen ;  but  the 
king  interrupted  her. 

"  In  fact,"  said  he,  with  the  tone  of  one  who  con- 
cludes an  argument  in  which  he  has  had  only  imag- 
inary opponents,  and  in  which,  therefore,  he  has 
come  off  triumphant — "  in  fact,  it  is  a  good  thing 
altogether  to  be  light-bodied." 

"  But  it  is  a  bad  thing  altogether  to  be  light- 
minded,"  retorted  the  queen,  who  was  beginning  to 
lose  her  temper. 

This  last  answer  quite  discomfited  his  Majesty, 
who  turned  on  his  heel,  and  betook  himself  to  his 


304    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

counting-house  again.  But  he  was  not  half-way 
towards  it,  when  the  voice  of  his  queen  overtook 
him. 

"  And  it's  a  bad  thing  to  be  light-haired," 
screamed  she,  determined  to  have  more  last  words, 
now  that  her  spirit  was  roused. 

The  queen's  hair  was  black  as  night;  and  the 
king's  had  been,  and  his  daughter's  was,  golden  as 
morning.  But  it  was  not  this  reflection  on  his  hair 
that  arrested  him ;  it  was  the  double  use  of  the  word 
light.  For  the  king  hated  all  witticisms,  and  pun- 
ning especially.  And  besides,  he  could  not  tell 
whether  the  queen  meant  light-haired  or  light- 
heired;  for  why  might  she  not  aspirate  her  vowels 
when  she  was  exasperated  herself  ? 

He  turned  upon  his  other  heel,  and  rejoined  her. 
She  looked  angry  still,  because  she  knew  that  she 
was  guilty,  or,  what  was  much  the  same,  knew  that 
he  thought  so. 

"  My  dear  queen,"  said  he,  "  duplicity  of  any  sort 
is  exceedingly  objectionable  between  married  people 
of  any  rank,  not  to  say  kings  and  queens;  and  the 
most  objectionable  form  duplicity  can  assume  is  that 
of  punning." 

"  There!  "  said  the  queen,  "  I  never  made  a  jest, 
but  I  broke  it  in  the  making.  I  am  the  most  un- 
fortunate woman  in  the  world !  " 

She  looked  so  rueful  that  the  king  took  her  in  his 
arms ;  and  they  sat  down  to  consult. 

"  Can  you  bear  this  ?  "  said  the  king. 

"  No,  I  can't,"  said  the  queen. 

'"  Well,  what's  to  be  done  ?  "  said  the  king. 


The  Light  Princess  305' 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know,"  said  the  queen.  "  But 
might  you  not  try  an  apology  ?  " 

"  To  my  old  sister,  I  suppose  you  mean  ?  "  said  the 
king. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  queen. 

"  Well,  I  don't  mind,"  said  the  king. 

So  he  went  the  next  morning  to  the  house  of  the 
princess,  and,  making  a  very  humble  apology, 
begged  her  to  undo  the  spell.  But  the  princess  de- 
clared, with  a  grave  face,  that  she  knew  nothing  at 
all  about  it.  Her  eyes,  however,  shone  pink,  which 
was  a  sign  that  she  was  happy.  She  advised  the 
king  and  queen  to  have  patience,  and  to  mend  their 
ways.  The  king  returned  disconsolate.  The  queen 
tried  to  comfort  him. 

"  We  will  wait  till  she  is  older.  She  may  then 
be  able  to  suggest  something  herself.  She  will  know 
at  least  how  she  feels,  and  explain  things  to  us." 

"  But  what  if  she  should  marry  ?  "  exclaimed  the 
king,  in  sudden  consternation  at  the  idea. 

"  Well,  what  of  that?  "  rejoined  the  queen. 

"  Just  think  !  If  she  were  to  have  children !  In 
the  course  of  a  hundred  years  the  air  might  be  as 
full  of  floating  children  as  of  gossamers  in  autumn." 

"  That  is  no  business  of  ours,"  replied  the  queem 
"  Besides,  by  that  time  they  will  have  learned  to  take 
care  of  themselves." 

A  sigh  was  the  king's  only  answer. 

He  would  have  consulted  the  court  physicians; 
but  he  was  afraid  they  would  try  experiments  upon 
her. 


306     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

VI 

She  Lauglts  Too  Much 

Meantime, notwithstanding  awkward  occurrences, 
and  griefs  that  she  brought  upon  her  parents,  the 
little  princess  laughed  and  grew — not  fat,  but  plump 
and  tall.  She  reached  the  age  of  seventeen,  without 
having  fallen  into  any  worse  scrape  than  a  chimney ; 
by  rescuing  her  from  which,  a  little  bird-nesting 
urchin  got  fame  and  a  black  face.  Nor,  thoughtless 
as  she  was,  had  she  committed  anything  worse  than 
laughter  at  everybody  and  everything  that  came  in 
her  way.  When  she  was  told,  for  the  sake  of  experi- 
ment, that  General  Qanrunfort  was  cut  to  pieces  with 
all  his  troops,  she  laughed ;  when  she  heard  that  the 
enemy  was  on  his  way  to  besiege  her  father's  capital, 
she  laughed  hugely ;  but  when  she  was  told  that  the 
city  would  certainly  be  abandoned  to  the  mercy  of 
the  enemy's  soldiery — why,  then  she  laughed  im- 
moderately. She  never  could  be  brought  to  see  the 
serious  side  of  anything.  When  her  mother  cried, 
she  said : 

"  What  queer  faces  mamma  makes !  And  she 
squeezes  water  out  of  her  cheeks !    Funny  mamma !  " 

And  when  her  papa  stormed  at  her,  she  laughed, 
and  danced  round  and  round  him,  clapping  her 
hands,  and  crying: 

"  Do  it  again,  papa.  Do  it  again!  It's  such  fun! 
Dear,  funny  papa !  " 

And  if  he  tried  to  catch  her,  she  glided  from  him 
in  an  instant,  not  in  the  least  afraid  of  him,  but 


The  Light  Princess  307 

thinking  it  part  of  the  game  not  to  be  caught.  With 
one  push  of  her  foot,  she  would  be  floating  in  the  air 
above  his  head ;  or  she  would  go  dancing  backwards 
and  forwards  and  sideways,  like  a  great  butterfly. 
It  happened  several  times,  when  her  father  and 
mother  were  holding  a  consultation  about  her  in  pri- 
vate, that  they  were  interrupted  by  vainly  repressed 
outbursts  of  laughter  over  their  heads ;  and  look- 
ing up  with  indignation,  saw  her  floating  at  full 
length  in  the  air  above  them,  whence  she  regarded 
them  with  the  most  comical  appreciation  of  the  posi- 
tion. 

One  day  an  awkward  accident  happened.  The 
princess  had  come  out  upon  the  lawn  with  one  of 
her  attendants,  who  held  her  by  the  hand.  Spying 
her  father  at  the  other  side  of  the  lawn,  she  snatched 
her  hand  from  the  maid's,  and  sped  across  to  him. 
Now  when  she  wanted  to  run  alone,  her  custom  was 
to  catch  up  a  stone  in  each  hand,  so  that  she  might 
Come  down  again  after  a  bound.  Whatever  she 
wore  as  part  of  her  attire  had  no  effect  in  this  way. 
Even  gold,  when  it  thus  became  as  it  were  a  part 
of  herself,  lost  all  its  weight  for  the  time.  But 
whatever  she  only  held  in  her  hands  retained  its 
downward  tendency.  On  this  occasion  she  could 
see  nothing  to  catch  up  but  a  huge  toad,  that  was 
walking  across  the  lawn  as  if  he  had  a  hundred 
years  to  do  it  in.  Not  knowing  what  disgust  meant, 
for  this  was  one  of  her  peculiarities,  she  snatched 
up  the  toad  and  bounded  away.  She  had  almost 
reached  her  father,  and  he  was  holding  out  his  arms 
to  receive  her,  and  take  from  her  lips  the  kiss  which 
hovered  on  them  like  a  butterfly  on  a  rosebud,  when 


308    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

a  puff  of  wind  blew  her  aside  into  the  arms  of  a 
young  page,  who  had  just  been  receiving  a  message 
from  his  Majesty.  Now  it  was  no  great  peculiarity 
in  the  princess  that,  once  she  was  set  agoing,  it  al- 
ways cost  her  time  and  trouble  to  check  herself.  On 
this  occasion  there  was  no  time.  She  must  kiss — > 
and  she  kissed  the  page.  She  did  not  mind  it  much ; 
for  she  had  no  shyness  in  her  composition ";  and  she 
knew,  besides,  that  she  could  not  help  it.  So  she 
only  laughed,  like  a  musical  box.  The  poor  page 
fared  the  worst.  For  the  princess,  trying  to  correct 
the  unfortunate  tendency  of  the  kiss,  put  out  her 
hands  to  keep  off  the  page ;  so  that,  along  with  the 
kiss,  he  received,  on  the  other  cheek,  a  slap  with  the 
huge  black  toad,  which  she  poked  right  into  his  eye. 
He  tried  to  laugh,  too,  but  the  attempt  resulted  in 
such  an  odd  contortion  of  countenance,  as  showed 
that  there  was  no  danger  of  his  pluming  himself 
on  the  kiss.  As  for  the  king,  his  dignity  was  greatly 
hurt,  and  he  did  not  speak  to  the  page  for  a  whole 
month. 

I  may  here  remark  that  it  was  very  amusing  to  see 
her  run,  if  her  mode  of  progression  could  properly 
be  called  running.  For  first  she  would  make  a 
bound ;  then,  having  alighted,  she  would  run  a  few 
steps,  and  make  another  bound.  Sometimes  she 
would  fancy  she  had  reached  the  ground  before  she 
actually  had,  and  her  feet  would  go  backwards  and 
forwards,  running  upon  nothing  at  all,  like  those  of 
a  chicken  on  its  back.  Then  she  would  laugh  like 
the  very  spirit  of  fun;  only  in  her  laugh  there  was 
something  missing.  What  it  was,  I  find  myself  un- 
able to  describe.    I  think  it  was  a  certain  tone,  de- 


The  Liglit  Princess  309. 

pending  upon  the  possibility  of  sorrow — morbidezza, 
perhaps.    She  never  smiled. 


VII 

Try  Metaphysics 

After  a  long  avoidance  of  the  painful  subject,, 
the  king  and  queen  resolved  to  hold  a  council  of 
three  upon  it ;  and  so  they  sent  for  the  princess.  In 
she  came,  sliding  and  flitting  and  gliding  from  one 
piece  of  furniture  to  another,  and  put  herself  at 
last  in  an  arm-chair,  in  a  sitting  posture.  Whether 
she  could  be  said  to  sit,  seeing  she  received  no  sup- 
port from  the  seat  of  the  chair,  I  do  not  pretend  to 
determine. 

"  My  dear  child,"  said  the  king,  "  you  must  be 
aware  by  this  time  that  you  are  not  exactly  like  other 
people." 

"  Oh,  you  dear  funny  papa!  I  have  got  a  nose, 
and  two  eyes,  and  all  the  rest.  So  have  you.  So 
has  mamma." 

"  Now  be  serious,  my  dear,  for  once,"  said  the 
queen. 

"  No,  thank  you,  mamma ;  I  had  rather  not." 

"  Would  you  not  like  to  be  able  to  walk  like 
other  people?"  said  the  king. 

"  No  indeed,  I  should  think  not.  You  only  crawl. 
You  are  such  slow  coaches !  " 

"  How  do  you  feel,  my  child  ?  "  he  resumed,  after 
a  pause  of  discomfiture. 

"  Quite  well,  thank  you." 


310    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"  I  mean,  what  do  you  feel  like  ?  " 

"  Like  nothing  at  all,  that  I  know  of." 

"  You  must  feel  like  something." 

"  I  feel  like  a  princess  with  such  a  funny  papa, 
and  such  a  dear  pet  of  a  queen-mamma !  " 

"  Now  really !  "  began  the  queen ;  but  the  princess 
interrupted  her. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  she  added,  "  I  remember.  I  have  a 
curious  feeling  sometimes,  as  if  I  were  the  only 
person  that  had  any  sense  in  the  whole  world." 

She  had  been  trying  to  behave  herself  with  dig- 
nity ;  but  now  she  burst  into  a  violent  fit  of  laughter, 
threw  herself  backwards  over  the  chair,  and  went 
rolling  about  the  floor  in  an  ecstasy  of  enjoyment. 
The  king  picked  her  up  easier  than  one  does  a  down 
quilt,  and  replaced  her  in  her  former  relation  to  the 
chair.  The  exact  preposition  expressing  this  rela- 
tion I  do  not  happen  to  know. 

"  Is  there  nothing  you  wish  for  ?  "  resumed  the 
king,  who  had  learned  by  this  time  that  it  was  use- 
less to  be  angry  with  her. 

"  Oh,  you  dear  papa ! — yes,"  answered  she. 

"  What  is  it,  my  darling?  " 

"  I  have  been  longing  for  it — oh,  such  a  time ! — 
ever  since  last  night." 

"  Tell  me  what  it  is." 

"  Will  you  promise  to  let  me  have  it  ?  " 

The  king  was  on  the  point  of  saying  yes,  but  the 
wiser  queen  checked  him  with  a  single  motion  of  her 
head. 

"  Tell  me  what  it  is  first,"  said  he. 

"  No,  no.    Promise  first." 

"I  dare  not.    What  is  it?" 


The  Light  Princess  311 

"  Mind,  I  hold  you  to  your  promise.  It  is — to  be 
tied  to  the  end  of  a  string — a  very  long  string  in- 
deed, and  be  flown  like  a  kite.  Oh,  such  fun !  I 
would  rain  rose-water,  and  hail  sugar-plums,  and 
snow  whipped-cream,  and — and — and —  " 

A  fit  of  laughing  checked  her ;  and  she  would 
have  been  off  again  over  the  floor,  had  not  the  king 
started  up  and  caught  her  just  in  time.  Seeing  that 
nothing  but  talk  could  be  got  out  of  her,  he  rang 
the  bell,  and  sent  her  away  with  two  of  her  ladies-in- 
waiting. 

"  Now,  queen,"  he  said,  turning  to  her  Majesty, 
"  what  is  to  be  done  ?  " 

"  There  is  but  one  thing  left,"  answered  she. 
"  Let  us  consult  the  college  of  Metaphysicians." 

"  Bravo!  "  cried  the  king;  "  we  will." 

Now  at  the  head  of  this  college  were  two  very 
wise  Chinese  philosophers — by  name  Hum-Drum, 
and  Kopy-Keck.  For  them  the  king  sent;  and 
straightway  they  came.  In  a  long  speech  he  com- 
municated to  them  what  they  knew  very  well  al- 
ready— as  who  did  not? — namely,  the  peculiar  con- 
dition of  his  daughter  in  relation  to  the  globe  on 
which  she  dwelt ;  and  requested  them  to  consult  to- 
gether as  to  what  might  be  the  cause  and  probable 
cure  of  her  infirmity.  The  king  laid  stress  upon 
the  word,  but  failed  to  discover  his  own  pun.  The 
queen  laughed ;  but  Hum-Drum  and  Kopy-Keck 
heard  with  humility  and  retired  in  silence. 

Their  consultation  consisted  chiefly  in  propound- 
ing and  supporting,  for  the  thousandth  time,  each 
his  favourite  theories.  For  the  condition  of  the 
princess  afforded  delightful  scope  for  the  discussion 


312     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

of  every  question  arising  from  the  division  of 
thought — in  fact,  of  all  the  Metaphysics  of  the  Chi- 
nese Empire.  But  it  is  only  justice  to  say  that  they 
did  not  altogether  neglect  the  discussion  of  the 
practical  question,  what  was  to  be  done. 

Hum-Drum  was  a  Materialist,  and  Kopy-Keck 
was  a  Spiritualist.  The  former  was  slow  and  sen- 
tentious ;  the  latter  was  quick  and  flighty ;  the  latter 
had  generally  the  first  word ;  the  former  the  last. 

"  I  reassert  my  former  assertion,"  began  Kopy- 
Keck,  with  a  plunge.  "  There  is  not  a  fault  in  the 
princess,  body  or  soul ;  only  they  are  wrong  put  to- 
gether. Listen  to  me  now,  Hum-Drum,  and  I  will 
tell  you  in  brief  what  I  think.  Don't  speak.  Don't 
answer  me.  I  zvon't  hear  you  till  I  have  done.  At 
that  decisive  moment,  when  souls  seek  their  ap- 
pointed habitations,  two  eager  souls  met,  struck,  re- 
bounded, lost  their  way,  and  arrived  each  at  the 
wrong  place.  The  soul  of  the  princess  was  one  of 
those,  and  she  went  far  astray.  She  does  not  be- 
long by  rights  to  this  world  at  all,  but  to  some  other 
planet,  probably  Mercury.  Her  proclivity  to  her 
true  sphere  destroys  all  the  natural  influence  which 
this  orb  would  otherwise  possess  over  her  corporeal 
frame.  She  cares  for  nothing  here.  There  is  no 
relation  between  her  and  this  world. 

"  She  must  therefore  be  taught,  by  the  sternest 
compulsion,  to  take  an  interest  in  the  earth  as  the 
earth.  She  must  study  every  department  of  its  his- 
tory— its  animal  history,  its  vegetable  history,  its 
mineral  history,  its  social  history,  its  moral  history, 
its  political  history,  its  scientific  history,  its  literary 
history,   its   musical   history,    its    artistical   history, 


The  Light  Princess  313 

above  all,  its  metaphysical  history.  She  must  begin 
with  the  Chinese  dynasty  and  end  with  Japan.  But 
first  of  all  she  must  study  geology,  and  especially 
the  history  of  the  extinct  races  of  animals — their 
natures,  their  habits,  their  loves,  their  hates,  their 
revenges.     She  must " 

"  Hold,  h-o-o-old !  "  roared  Hum-Drum.  "  It  is 
certainly  my  turn  now.  My  rooted  and  insubverti- 
ble  conviction  is,  that  the  causes  of  the  anomalies 
evident  in  the  princess's  condition  are  strictly  and 
solely  physical.  But  that  is  only  tantamount  to  ac- 
knowledging that  they  exist.  Hear  my  opinion. 
From  some  cause  or  other,  of  no  importance  to  our 
inquiry,  the  motion  of  her  heart  has  been  reversed. 
That  remarkable  combination  of  the  suction  and  the 
force-pump  works  the  wrong  way — I  mean  in  the 
case  of  the  unfortunate  princess,  it  draws  in  where 
it  should  force  out,  and  forces  out  where  it  should 
draw  in.  The  offices  of  the  auricles  and  the  ventri- 
cles are  subverted.  The  blood  is  sent  forth  by  the 
veins,  and  returns  by  the  arteries.  Consequently  it 
is  running  the  wrong  way  through  all  her  corporeal 
organism — lungs  and  all.  Is  it  then  at  all  mysteri- 
ous, seeing  that  such  is  the  case,  that  on  the  other 
particular  of  gravitation  as  well,  she  should  differ 
from  normal  humanity?  My  proposal  for  the  cure 
is  this : 

"  Phlebotomise  until  she  is  reduced  to  the  last 
point  of  safety.  Let  it  be  effected,  if  necessary,  in 
a  warm  bath.  When  she  is  reduced  to  a  state  of 
perfect  asphyxy,  apply  a  ligature  to  the  left  ankle, 
drawing  it  as  tight  as  the  bone  will  bear.  Apply, 
at  the  same  moment,  another  of  equal  tension  around 


314    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

the  right  wrist.  By  means  of  plates  constructed  for 
the  purpose,  place  the  other  foot  and  hand  under 
the  receivers  of  two  air-pumps.  Exhaust  the  re- 
ceivers. Exhibit  a  pint  of  French  brandy,  and  await 
the  result." 

"  Which  would  presently  arrive  in  the  form  of 
grim  Death,"  said  Kopy-Keck. 

"  If  it  should,  she  would  yet  die  in  doing  our 
duty,"  retorted  Hum-Drum. 

But  their  Majesties  had  too  much  tenderness  for 
their  volatile  offspring  to  subject  her  to  either  of  the 
schemes  of  the  equally  unscrupulous  philosophers. 
Indeed,  the  most  complete  knowledge  of  the  laws 
of  nature  would  have  been  unserviceable  in  her  case ; 
for  it  was  impossible  to  classify  her.  She  was  a 
fifth  imponderable  body,  sharing  all  the  other  prop- 
erties of  the  ponderable. 


VIII 

Try  a  Drop  of  Water 

Perhaps  the  best  thing  for  the  princess  would 
have  been  to  fall  in  love.  But  how  a  princess  who 
had  no  gravity  could  fall  into  anything  is  a  diffi- 
culty— perhaps  the  difficulty.  As  for  her  own  feel- 
ings on  the  subject,  she  did  not  even  know  that  there 
was  such  a  beehive  of  honey  and  stings  to  be  fallen 
into.  But  now  I  come  to  mention  another  curious 
fact  about  her. 

The  palace  was  built  on  the  shores  of  the  loveliest 
lake  in  the  world;  and  the  princess  loved  this  lake 


The  Light  Princess  315 

more  than  father  or  mother.  The  root  of  this  prefer- 
ence no  doubt,  although  the  princess  did  not  recog- 
nise it  as  such,  was,  that  the  moment  she  got  into  it, 
she  recovered  the  natural  right  of  which  she  had  been 
so  wickedly  deprived — namely,  gravity.  Whether 
this  was  owing  to  the  fact  that  water  had  been  em- 
ployed as  the  means  of  conveying  the  injury,  I  do 
not  know.  But  it  is  certain  that  she  could  swim  and 
dive  Hke  the  duck  that  her  old  nurse  said  she  was. 
The  manner  in  which  this  alleviation  of  her  misfor- 
tune was  discovered  was  as  follows : 

One  summer  evening,  during  the  carnival  of  the 
country,  she  had  been  taken  upon  the  lake  by  the 
king  and  queen,  in  the  royal  barge.  They  were  ac- 
companied by  many  of  the  courtiers  in  a  fleet  of  lit- 
tle boats.  In  the  middle  of  the  lake  she  wanted  to 
get  into  the  lord  chancellor's  barge,  for  his  daughter, 
who  was  a  great  favourite  with  her,  was  in  it  with 
her  father.  Now  though  the  old  king  rarely  con- 
descended to  make  light  of  his  misfortune,  yet,  hap- 
pening on  this  occasion  to  be  in  a  particularly  good 
humour,  as  the  barges  approached  each  other,  he 
caught  up  the  princess  to  throw  her  into  the  chan- 
cellor's barge.  He  lost  his  balance,  however,  and, 
dropping  into  the  bottom  of  the  barge,  lost  his  hold 
of  his  daughter ;  not,  however,  before  imparting  to 
her  the  downward  tendency  of  his  own  person, 
though  in  a  somewhat  different  direction,  for,  as  the 
king  fell  into  the  boat,  she  fell  into  the  water.  With 
a  burst  of  delighted  laughter  she  disappeared  into 
the  lake.  A  cry  of  horror  ascended  from  the  boats. 
They  had  never  seen  the  princess  go  down  before. 
Half  the  men  were  under  water  in  a  moment;  but 


316    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

they  had  all,  one  after  another,  come  up  to  the  sur- 
face again  for  breath,  when — tinkle,  tinkle,  babble, 
and  gush !  came  the  princess's  laugh  over  the  water 
from  far  away.  There  she  was,  swimming  like  a 
swan.  Nor  would  she  come  out  for  king  or  queen, 
chancellor  or  daughter.  She  was  perfectly  obstinate. 
But  at  the  same  time  she  seemed  more  sedate  than 
usual.  Perhaps  that  was  because  a  great  pleasure 
spoils  laughing.  At  all  events,  after  this,  the  pas- 
sion of  her  life  was  to  get  into  the  water,  and  she 
was  always  the  better  behaved  and  the  more  beauti- 
ful the  more  she  had  of  it.  Summer  and  winter  it 
was  quite  the  same ;  only  she  could  not  stay  so  long 
in  the  water  when  they  had  to  break  the  ice  to  let 
her  in.  Any  day,  from  morning  to  evening  in  sum- 
mer, she  might  be  descried — a  streak  of  white  in  the 
blue  water — lying  as  still  as  the  shadow  of  a  cloud, 
or  shooting  along  like  a  dolphin ;  disappearing,  and 
coming  up  again  far  off,  just  where  one  did  not  ex- 
pect her.  She  would  have  been  in  the  lake  of  a 
night  too,  if  she  could  have  had  her  way ;  for  the 
balcony  of  her  window  overhung  a  deep  pool  in  it ; 
and  through  a  shallow  reedy  passage  she  could  have 
swum  out  into  the  wide  wet  water,  and  no  one  would 
have  been  any  the  wiser.  Indeed,  when  she  hap- 
pened to  wake  in  the  moonlight  she  could  hardly 
resist  the  temptation.  But  there  was  the  sad  diffi- 
culty of  getting  into  it.  She  had  as  great  a  dread 
of  the  air  as  some  children  have  of  the  water.  For 
the  slightest  gust  of  wind  would  blow  her  away; 
3tfid  a  gust  might  arise  in  the  stillest  moment.  And 
if  she  gave  herself  a  push  towards  the  water  and 
just  failed  of  reaching  it,  her  situation  would  be 


The  Light  Princess  317 

dreadfully  awkward,  irrespective  of  the  wind ;  for 
at  best  there  she  would  have  to  remain,  suspended  in 
her  night-gown,  till  she  was  seen  and  angled  for  by 
somebody  from  the  window. 

"  Oh !  if  I  had  my  gravity,"  thought  she,  contem- 
plating the  water,  ''  I  would  flash  off  this  balcony 
like  a  long  white  sea-bird,  headlong  into  the  darling 
wetness.    Heigh-ho !  " 

This  was  the  only  consideration  that  made  her 
wish  to  be  like  other  people. 

Another  reason  for  her  being  fond  of  the  water 
was  that  in  it  alone  she  enjoyed  any  freedom.  For 
she  could  not  walk  without  a  cortege,  consisting  in 
part  of  a  troop  of  light-horse,  for  fear  of  the  liberties 
which  the  wind  might  take  with  her.  And  the  king 
grew  more  apprehensive  with  increasing  years,  till 
at  last  he  would  not  allow  her  to  walk  abroad  at 
all  without  some  twenty  silken  cords  fastened  to  as 
many  parts  of  her  dress,  and  held  by  twenty  noble- 
men. Of  course  horseback  was  out  of  the  question. 
But  she  bade  good-bye  to  all  this  ceremony  when 
she  got  into  the  water. 

And  so  remarkable  were  its  effects  upon  her,  es- 
pecially in  restoring  her  for  the  time  to  the  ordinary 
human  gravity,  that  Hum-Drum  and  Kopy-Keck 
agreed  in  recommending  the  king  to  bury  her  alive 
for  three  years;  in  the  hope  that,  as  the  water  did 
her  so  much  good,  the  earth  would  do  her  yet  more. 
But  the  king  had  some  vulgar  prejudices  against 
the  experiment,  and  would  not  give  his  consent. 
Foiled  in  this,  they  yet  agreed  in  another  recommen- 
dation ;  which,  seeing  that  one  imported  his  opin- 
ions from  China  and  the  other  from  Thibet,  was 


318    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

very  remarkable  indeed.  They  argued  that,  if  water 
of  external  origin  and  application  could  be  so  effica- 
cious, water  from  a  deeper  source  might  work  a  per- 
fect cure ;  in  short,  that  if  the  poor  afflicted  princess 
could  by  any  means  be  made  to  cry,  she  might  re- 
cover her  lost  gravity. 

But  how  was  this  to  be  brought  about?  Therein 
lay  all  the  difficulty — to  meet  which  the  philosophers 
were  not  wise  enough.  To  make  the  princess  cry 
was  as  impossible  as  to  make  her  weigh.  They  sent 
for  a  professional  beggar,  commanded  him  to  pre- 
pare his  most  touching  oracle  of  woe,  helped  him 
out  of  the  court  charade  box  to  whatever  he  wanted 
for  dressing  up,  and  promised  great  rewards  in  the 
event  of  his  success.  But  it  was  all  in  vain.  She 
listened  to  the  mendicant  artist's  story,  and  gazed  at 
his  marvellous  make  up,  till  she  could  contain  herself 
no  longer,  and  went  into  the  most  undignified  con- 
tortions for  relief,  shrieking,  positively  screeching 
with  laughter. 

When  she  had  a  little  recovered  herself,  she  or- 
dered her  attendants  to  drive  him  away,  and  not 
give  him  a  single  copper;  whereupon  his  look  of 
mortified  discomfiture  wrought  her  punishment  and 
his  revenge,  for  it  sent  her  into  violent  hysterics, 
from  which  she  was  with  difficulty  recovered. 

But  so  anxious  was  the  king  that  the  suggestion 
should  have  a  fair  trial,  that  he  put  himself  in  a 
rage  one  day,  and,  rushing  up  to  her  room,  gave  her 
an  awful  whipping.  Yet  not  a  tear  would  flow.  She 
looked  grave,  and  her  laughing  sounded  uncom- 
monly like  screaming — that  was  all.  The  good  old 
tyrant,  though  he  put  on  his  best  gold  spectacles  to 


The  Light  Princess  319 

took,  could  not  discover  the  smallest  cloud  in  the 
serene  blue  of  her  eyes. 


IX 

Put  Me  in  Again! 

It  must  have  been  about  this  time  that  the  son  of 
a  king,  who  lived  a  thousand  miles  from  Lagobel, 
set  out  to  look  for  the  daughter  of  a  queen.  He 
travelled  far  and  wide,  but  as  sure  as  he  found  a 
princess,  he  found  some  fault  with  her.  Of  course 
he  could  not  marry  a  mere  woman,  however  beauti- 
ful; and  there  was  no  princess  to  be  found  worthy 
of  him.  Whether  the  prince  was  so  near  perfec- 
tion that  he  had  a  right  to  demand  perfection  itself, 
I  cannot  pretend  to  say.  All  I  know  is,  that  he  was 
a  fine,  handsome,  brave,  generous,  well-bred,  and 
well-behaved  youth,  as  all  princes  are. 

In  his  wanderings  he  had  come  across  some  re- 
ports about  our  princess ;  but  as  everybody  said  she 
was  bewitched,  he  never  dreamed  that  she  could  be- 
witch him.  For  what  indeed  could  a  prince  do  with 
a  princess  that  had  lost  her  gravity?  Who  could 
tell  what  she  might  not  lose  next?  She  might  lose 
her  visibility,  or  her  tangibility;  or,  in  short,  the 
power  of  making  impressions  upon  the  radical  senso- 
rium ;  so  that  he  should  never  be  able  to  tell  whether 
she  was  dead  or  alive.  Of  course  he  made  no  fur- 
ther inquiries  about  her. 

One  day  he  lost  sight  of  his  retinue  in  a  great  for- 
est.    These   forests  are  very  useful  in  delivering 


32o    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

princes  from  their  courtiers,  like  a  sieve  that  keeps 
back  the  bran.  Then  the  princes  get  away  to  follow 
their  fortunes.  In  this  way  they  have  the  advantage 
of  the  princesses,  who  are  forced  to  marry  before 
they  have  had  a  bit  of  fun.  I  wish  our  princesses 
got  lost  in  a  forest  sometimes. 

One  lovely  evening,  after  wandering  about  for 
many  days,  he  found  that  he  was  approaching  the 
outskirts  of  this  forest;  for  the  trees  had  got  so 
thin  that  he  could  see  the  sunset  through  them ;  and 
he  soon  came  upon  a  kind  of  heath.  Next  he  came 
upon  signs  of  human  neighbourhood;  but  by  this 
time  it  was  getting  late,  and  there  was  nobody  in  the 
fields  to  direct  him. 

After  travelling  for  another  hour,  his  horse,  quite 
worn  out  with  long  labour  and  lack  of  food,  fell,  and 
was  unable  to  rise  again.  So  he  continued  his  jour- 
ney on  foot.  A  length  he  entered  another  wood — 
not  a  wild  forest,  but  a  civilised  wood,  through 
which  a  footpath  led  him  to  the  side  of  a  lake. 
Along  this  path  the  prince  pursued  his  way  through 
the  gathering  darkness.  Suddenly  he  paused,  and 
listened.  Strange  sounds  came  across  the  water. 
It  was,  in  fact,  the  princess  laughing.  Now  there 
was  something  odd  in  her  laugh,  as  I  have  already 
hinted;  for  the  hatching  of  a  real  hearty  laugh  re- 
quires the  incubation  of  gravity;  and  perhaps  this 
was  how  the  prince  mistook  the  laughter  for  scream- 
ing. Looking  over  the  lake,  he  saw  something 
white  in  the  water;  and,  in  an  instant,  he  had  torn 
off  his  tunic,  kicked  off  his  sandals,  and  plunged  in. 
He  soon  reached  the  white  object,  and  found  that  it 
was  a  woman.    There  was  not  light  enough  to  show 


The  Light  Princess  321 

that  she  was  a  princess,  but  quite  enough  to  show 
that  she  was  a  lady,  for  it  does  not  want  much  light 
to  see  that. 

Now  I  cannot  tell  how  it  came  about — whether 
she  pretended  to  be  drowning,  or  whether  he  fright- 
ened her,  or  caught  her  so  as  to  embarrass  her — but 
certainly  he  brought  her  to  shore  in  a  fashion  igno- 
minious to  a  swimmer,  and  more  nearly  drowned 
than  she  had  ever  expected  to  be ;  for  the  water  had 
got  into  her  throat  as  often  as  she  had  tried  to  speak. 

At  the  place  to  which  he  bore  her,  the  bank  was 
only  a  foot  or  two  above  the  water ;  so  he  gave  her 
a  strong  lift  out  of  the  water,  to  lay  her  on  the 
bank.  But,  her  gravitation  ceasing  the  moment  she 
left  the  water,  away  she  went  up  into  the  air,  scold- 
ing and  screaming. 

"  You  naughty,  naughty,  naughty,  NAUGHTY 
man  !  "  she  cried. 

No  one  had  ever  succeeded  in  putting  her  into 
a  passion  before.  When  the  prince  saw  her  ascend, 
he  thought  he  must  have  been  bewitched,  and  have 
mistaken  a  great  swan  for  a  lady.  But  the  princess 
caught  hold  of  the  topmost  cone  upon  a  lofty  fir. 
This  came  off;  but  she  caught  at  another;  and,  in 
fact,  stopped  herself  by  gathering  cones,  dropping 
them  as  the  stalks  gave  way.  The  prince,  mean- 
time, stood  in  the  water,  staring,  and  forgetting  to 
get  out.  But  the  princess  disappearing,  he  scram- 
bled on  shore,  and  went  in  the  direction  of  the  tree. 
There  he  found  her  climbing  down  one  of  the 
branches  towards  the  stem.  But  in  the  darkness  of 
the  wood,  the  prince  continued  in  some  bewilder- 
ment as  to  what  the  phenomenon  could  be;  until, 


322     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

reaching  the  ground,  and  seeing  him  standing  there, 
she  caught  hold  of  him,  and  said : 

"  I'll  tell  papa." 

"  Oh  no,  you  won't !  "  returned  the  prince. 

"  Yes,  I  will,"  she  persisted.  "  What  business 
had  you  to  pull  me  down  out  of  the  water,  and 
throw  me  to  the  bottom  of  the  air  ?  I  never  did  you 
any  harm." 

"  Pardon  me.    I  did  not  mean  to  hurt  you." 

"  I  don't  believe  you  have  any  brains ;  and  that  is 
a  worse  loss  than  your  wretched  gravity.  I  pity 
you." 

The  prince  now  saw  that  he  had  come  upon  the 
bewitched  princess,  and  had  already  offended  her. 
But  before  he  could  think  what  to  say  next,  she 
burst  out  angrily,  giving  a  stamp  with  her  foot  that 
would  have  sent  her  aloft  again  but  for  the  hold  she 
had  of  his  arm  : 

"  Put  me  up  directly." 

"  Put  you  up  where,  you  beauty  ? "  asked  the 
prince. 

He  had  fallen  in  love  with  her  almost,  already; 
for  her  anger  made  her  more  charming  than  any  one 
else  had  ever  beheld  her ;  and,  as  far  as  he  could  see, 
which  certainly  was  not  far,  she  had  not  a  single 
fault  about  her,  except,  of  course,  that  she  had  not 
any  gravity.  No  prince,  however,  would  judge  of  a 
princess  by  weight.  The  loveliness  of  her  foot  he 
would  hardly  estimate  by  the  depth  of  the  impres- 
sion it  could  make  in  mud. 

"  Put  you  up  where,  you  beauty  ? "  asked  the 
prince. 

"  In  the  water,  you  stupid !  "  answered  the  prin- 
cess. 


The  Light  Princess  323 

"  Come,  then,"  said  the  prince. 

The  condition  of  her  dress,  increasing  her  usual 
difficulty  in  walking,  compelled  her  to  cling  to  him; 
and  he  conld  hardly  persuade  himself  that  he  was 
not  in  a  delightful  dream,  notwithstanding  the  tor- 
rent of  musical  abuse  with  which  she  overwhelmed 
him.  The  prince  being  therefore  in  no  hurry,  they 
came  upon  the  lake  at  quite  another  part,  where  the 
bank  was  twenty-five  feet  high  at  least;  and  when 
they  had  reached  the  edge,  he  turned  towards  the 
princess,  and  said : 

"  How  am  I  to  put  you  in  ?  " 

"  That  is  your  business,"  she  answered,  quite 
snappishly.    "  You  took  me  out — put  me  in  again." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  prince ;  and,  catching  her 
up  in  his  arms,  he  sprang  with  her  from  the  rock. 
The  princess  had  just  time  to  give  one  delighted 
shriek  of  laughter  before  the  water  closed  over  them. 
When  they  came  to  the  surface,  she  found  that,  for 
a  moment  or  two,  she  could  not  even  laugh,  for  she 
had  gone  down  with  such  a  rush,  that  it  was  with 
difficulty  she  recovered  her  breath.  The  instant  they 
reached  the  surface — 

"  How  do  you  like  falling  in  ?  "  said  the  prince. 

After  some  effort  the  princess  panted  out: 

"  Is  that  what  you  call  falling  in?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  prince,  "  I  should  think  it  a 
very  tolerable  specimen." 

"  It  seemed  to  me  like  going  up,"  rejoined  she. 

"  My  feeling  was  certainly  one  of  elevation  too," 
the  prince  conceded. 

The  princess  did  not  appear  to  understand  him, 
for  she  retorted  his  question: 


324    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"  How  do  you  like  falling  in  ?  "  said  the  princess. 

"  Beyond  everything,"  answered  he ;  "  for  I  have 
fallen  in  with  the  only  perfect  creature  I  ever  saw." 

"  No  more  of  that.  I  am  tired  of  it,"  said  the 
princess. 

Perhaps  she  shared  her  father's  aversion  to  pun- 
ning. 

"  Don't  you  like  falling  in,  then  ?  "  said  the  prince. 

"  It  is  the  most  delightful  fun  I  ever  had  in  my 
life,"  answered  she.  "  I  never  fell  before.  I  wish 
I  could  learn.  To  think  I  am  the  only  person  in 
my  father's  kingdom  that  can't  fall !  " 

Here  the  poor  princess  looked  almost  sad. 

"  I  shall  be  most  happy  to  fall  in  with  you  any 
time  you  like,"  said  the  prince,  devotedly. 

"  Thank  you.  I  don't  know.  Perhaps  it  would 
not  be  proper.  But  I  don't  care.  At  all  events,  as 
we  have  fallen  in,  let  us  have  a  swim  together." 

"  With  all  my  heart,"  responded  the  prince. 

And  away  they  went,  swimming,  and  diving,  and 
floating,  until  at  last  they  heard  cries  along  the 
shore,  and  saw  lights  glancing  in  all  directions.  It 
was  now  quite  late,  and  there  was  no  moon. 

"  I  must  go  home,"  said  the  princess.  "  I  am  very 
sorry,  for  this  is  delightful." 

"  So  am  I,"  returned  the  prince.  "  But  I  am  glad 
I  haven't  a  home  to  go  to — at  least,  I  don't  exactly 
know  where  it  is." 

"  I  wish  I  hadn't  one  either,"  rejoined  the  prin- 
cess ;  "  it  is  so  stupid !  I  have  a  great  mind,"  she 
continued,  "  to  play  them  all  a  trick.  Why  couldn't 
they  leave  me  alone?  They  won't  trust  me  in  the 
lake  for  a  single  night !    You  see  where  that  green 


The  Light  Princess  325 

light  is  burning?  That  is  the  window  of  my  room. 
Now  if  you  would  just  swim  there  with  me  very 
quietly,  and  when  we  are  all  but  under  the  balcony, 
give  me  such  a  push — up  you  call  it — as  you  did  a 
little  while  ago,  I  should  be  able  to  catch  hold  of  the 
balcony,  and  get  in  at  the  window ;  and  then  they 
may  look  for  me  till  to-morrow  morning !  " 

"  With  more  obedience  than  pleasure,"  said  the 
prince,  gallantly ;  and  away  they  swam,  very  gently. 

"  Will  you  be  in  the  lake  to-morrow  night  ?  "  the 
prince  ventured  to  ask. 

"  To  be  sure  I  will.  I  don't  think  so.  Perhaps," 
was  the  princess's  somewhat  strange  answer. 

But  the  prince  was  intelligent  enough  not  to  press 
her  further;  and  merely  whispered,  as  he  gave  her 
the  parting  lift,  "  Don't  tell."  The  only  answer  the 
princess  returned  was  a  roguish  look.  She  was 
already  a  yard  above  his  head.  The  look  seemed  to 
say,  "  Never  fear.  It  is  too  good  fun  to  spoil  that 
way." 

So  perfectly  like  other  people  had  she  been  in  the 
water,  that  even  yet  the  prince  could  scarcely  be- 
lieve his  eyes  when  he  saw  her  ascend  slowly,  grasp 
the  balcony,  and  disappear  through  the  window.  He 
turned,  almost  expecting  to  see  her  still  by  his  side. 
But  he  was  alone  in  the  water.  So  he  swam  away 
quietly,  and  watched  the  lights  roving  about  the 
shore  for  hours  after  the  princess  was  safe  in  her 
chamber.  As  soon  as  they  disappeared,  he  landed 
in  search  of  his  tunic  and  sword,  and,  after  some 
trouble,  found  them  again.  Then  he  made  the  best 
of  his  way  round  the  lake  to  the  other  side.  There 
the  wood  was  wilder,  and  the  shore  steeper — rising 


326     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

more  immediately  towards  the  mountains  which  sur- 
rounded the  lake  on  all  sides,  and  kept  sending  it 
messages  of  silvery  streams  from  morning  to  night, 
and  all  night  long.  He  soon  found  a  spot  where 
he  could  see  the  green  light  in  the  princess's  room, 
and  where,  even  in  the  broad  daylight,  he  would  be 
in  no  danger  of  being  discovered  from  the  opposite 
shore.  It  was  a  sort  of  cave  in  the  rock,  where  he 
provided  himself  a  bed  of  withered  leaves,  and  lay 
down  too  tired  for  hunger  to  keep  him  awake.  All 
night  long  he  dreamed  that  he  was  swimming  with 
the  princess. 

X 

Look  at  the  Moon 

Early  the  next  morning  the  prince  set  out  to  look 
for  something  to  eat,  which  he  soon  found  at  a 
forester's  hut,  where  for  many  following  days  he 
was  supplied  with  all  that  a  brave  prince  could  con- 
sider necessary.  And  having  plenty  to  keep  him 
alive  for  the  present,  he  would  not  think  of  wants 
not  yet  in  existence.  Whenever  Care  intruded,  this 
prince  always  bowed  him  out  in  the  most  princely 
manner. 

When  he  returned  from  his  breakfast  to  his 
watch-cave,  he  saw  the  princess  already  floating 
about  in  the  lake,  attended  by  the  king  and  queen — 
whom  he  knew  by  their  crowns — and  a  great  com- 
pany in  lovely  little  boats,  with  canopies  of  all  the 
colours  of  the  rainbow,  and  flags  and  streamers  of  a 
great  many  more.  It  was  a  very  bright  day,  and 
soon  the  prince,  burned  up  with  the  heat,  began  to 


The  Light  Princess  327 

long  for  the  cold  water  and  the  cool  princess.  But 
he  had  to  endure  till  twilight;  for  the  boats  had 
provisions  on  board,  and  it  was  not  till  the  sun  went 
down  that  the  gay  party  began  to  vanish.  Boat  after 
boat  drew  away  to  the  shore,  following  that  of  the 
king  and  queen,  till  only  one,  apparently  the  prin- 
cess's own  boat,  remained.  But  she  did  not  want 
to  go  home  even  yet,  and  the  prince  thought  he  saw 
her  order  the  boat  to  the  shore  without  her.  At  all 
events  it  rowed  away ;  and  now,  of  all  the  radiant 
company,  only  one  white  speck  remained.  Then 
the  prince  began  to  sing. 
And  this  is  what  he  sung : 

"  Lady  fair, 
Swan-white, 
Lift  thine  eyes, 
Banish  night 
By  the  might 
Of  thine  eyes. 

"  Snowy  arms, 
Oars  of  snow, 
Oar  her  hither, 
Plashing  low. 
Soft  and  slow, 
Oar  her  hither. 

u  Stream  behind  her 
O'er  the  lake, 
Radiant  whiteness! 
In  her  wake 

Following,  following,  for  her  sake, 
Radiant  whiteness ! 


328    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"  Cling  about  her, 
Waters  blue; 
Part  not  from  her, 
But  renew 
Cold  and  true 
Kisses  round  her. 

"  Lap  me  round, 
Waters  sad 
That  have  left  her 
Make  me  glad, 
For  ye  had 
Kissed  her  ere  ye  left  her." 

Before  he  had  finished  his  song,  the  princess  was 
just  under  the  place  where  he  sat,  and  looking  up  to 
find  him.    Her  ears  had  led  her  truly. 

"  Would  you  like  a  fall,  princess  ? "  said  the 
prince,  looking  down. 

"  Ah !  there  you  are !  Yes,  if  you  please,  prince," 
said  the  princess,  looking  up. 

"  How  do  you  know  I  am  a  prince,  princess  ?  " 
said  the  prince. 

"  Because  you  are  a  very  nice  young  man,  prince," 
said  the  princess. 

"  Come  up  then,  princess." 

"  Fetch  me,  prince." 

The  prince  took  off  his  scarf,  then  his  swordbelt, 
then  his  tunic,  and  tied  them  all  together,  and  let 
them  down.  But  the  line  was  far  too  short.  He 
unwound  his  turban,  and  added  it  to  the  rest,  when  it- 
was  all  but  long  enough ;  and  his  purse  completed  it. 
The  princess  just  managed  to  lay  hold  of  the  knot 


The  Light  Princess  329 

of  money,  and  was  beside  him  in  a  moment.  This 
rock  was  much  higher  than  the  other,  and  the  splash 
and  the  dive  were  tremendous.  The  princess  was 
in  ecstasies  of  delight,  and  their  swim  was  delicious. 

Night  after  night  they  met,  and  swam  about  in 
the  dark  clear  lake,  where  such  was  the  prince's 
gladness,  that  (whether  the  princess's  way  of  look- 
ing at  things  infected  him,  or  he  was  actually  getting 
light-headed)  he  often  fancied  that  he  was  swim- 
ming in  the  sky  instead  of  the  lake.  But  when  he 
talked  about  being  in  heaven,  the  princess  laughed 
at  him  dreadfully. 

When  the  moon  came,  she  brought  them  fresh 
pleasure.  Everything  looked  strange  and  new  in  her 
light,  with  an  old,  withered,  yet  unfading  newness. 
When  the  moon  was  nearly  full,  one  of  their  great 
delights  was  to  dive  deep  in  the  water,  and  then, 
turning  round,  look  up  through  it  at  the  great  blot 
of  light  close  above  them,  shimmering  and  trembling 
and  wavering,  spreading  and  contracting,  seeming 
to  melt  away,  and  again  grow  solid.  Then  they 
would  shoot  up  through  the  blot,  and  lo!  there  was 
the  moon,  far  off,  clear  and  steady  and  cold,  and 
very  lovely,  at  the  bottom  of  a  deeper  and  bluer  lake 
than  theirs,  as  the  princess  said. 

The  prince  soon  found  out  that  while  in  the  water 
the  princess  was  very  like  other  people.  And  be- 
sides this,  she  was  not  so  forward  in  her  questions 
or  pert  in  her  replies  at  sea  as  on  shore.  Neither 
did  she  laugh  so  much;  and  when  she  did  laugh,  it 
was  more  gently.  She  seemed  altogether  more 
modest  and  maidenly  in  the  water  than  out  of  it. 
But  when  the  prince,  who  had  really  fallen  in  love 


3$o    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

when  he  fell  in  the  lake,  began  to  talk  to  her  about 
love,  she  always  turned  her  head  towards  him  and 
laughed.  After  a  while  she  began  to  look  puzzled, 
as  if  she  were  trying  to  understand  what  he  meant, 
but  could  not — revealing  a  notion  that  he  meant 
something.  But  as  soon  as  ever  she  left  the  lake, 
she  was  so  altered,  that  the  prince  said  to  himself, 
"  If  I  marry  her,  I  see  no  help  for  it :  we  must  turn 
merman  and  mermaid,  and  go  out  to  sea  at  once." 


XI 

Hiss! 

The  princess's  pleasure  in  the  lake  had  grown  to 
a  passion,  and  she  could  scarcely  bear  to  be  out  of  it 
for  an  hour.  Imagine  then  her  consternation,  when, 
diving  with  the  prince  one  night,  a  sudden  suspicion 
seized  her  that  the  lake  was  not  so  deep  as  it  used  to 
be.  The  prince  could  not  imagine  what  had  hap- 
pened. She  shot  to  the  surface,  and,  without  a  word, 
swam  at  full  speed  towards  the  higher  side  of  the 
lake.  He  followed,  begging  to  know  if  she  was  ill, 
or  what  was  the  matter.  She  never  turned  her  head, 
or  took  the  smallest  notice  of  his  question.  Ar- 
rived at  the  shore,  she  coasted  the  rocks  with  minute 
inspection.  But  she  was  not  able  to  come  to  a  con- 
clusion, for  the  moon  was  very  small,  and  so  she 
could  not  see  well.  She  turned  therefore  and  swam 
home,  without  saying  a  word  to  explain  her  conduct 
to  the  prince,  of  whose  presence  she  seemed  no 
longer  conscious.  He  withdrew  to  his  cave,  in  great 
perplexity  and  distress. 


The  Light  Princess  331 

Next  day  she  made  many  observations,  which, 
alas!  strengthened  her  fears.  She  saw  that  the 
banks  were  too  dry ;  and  that  the  grass  on  the  shore, 
and  the  trailing  plants  on  the  rocks,  were  withering 
away.  She  caused  marks  to  be  made  along  the  bor- 
ders, and  examined  them,  day  after  day,  in  all  direc- 
tions of  the  wind;  till  at  last  the  horrible  idea  be- 
came a  certain  fact — that  the  surface  of  the  lake  was 
slowly  sinking. 

The  poor  princess  nearly  went  out  of  the  little 
mind  she  had.  It  was  awful  to  her  to  see  the  lake, 
which  she  loved  more  than  any  living  thing,  lie 
dying  before  her  eyes.  It  sank  away,  slowly  vanish- 
ing. The  tops  of  rocks  that  had  never  been  seen  till 
now,  began  to  appear  far  down  in  the  clear  water. 
Before  long  they  were  dry  in  the  sun.  It  was  fearful 
to  think  of  the  mud  that  would  soon  lie  there  baking 
and  festering,  full  of  lovely  creatures  dying,  and 
ugly  creatures  coming  to  life,  like  the  unmaking  of 
a  world.  And  how  hot  the  sun  would  be  without 
any  lake !  She  could  not  bear  to  swim  in  it  any 
more,  and  began  to  pine  away.  Her  life  seemed 
bound  up  with  it;  and  ever  as  the  lake  sank,  she 
pined.  People  said  she  would  not  live  an  hour  after 
the  lake  was  gone. 

But  she  never  cried. 

Proclamation  was  made  to  all  the  kingdom,  that 
whosoever  should  discover  the  cause  of  the  lake's 
decrease,  would  be  rewarded  after  a  princely  fash- 
ion. Hum-Drum  and  Kopy-Keck  applied  them- 
selves to  their  physics  and  metaphysics ;  but  in  vain. 
Not  even  they  could  suggest  a  cause. 

Now  the  fact  was  that  the  old  princess  was  at  the 


332     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

root  of  the  mischief.  When  she  heard  that  her 
niece  found  more  pleasure  in  the  water  than  any  one 
else  had  out  of  it,  she  went  into  a  rage,  and  cursed 
herself  for  her  want  of  foresight. 

"  But,"  said  she,  "  I  will  soon  set  all  right.  The 
king  and  the  people  shall  die  of  thirst;  their  brains 
shall  boil  and  frizzle  in  their  skulls  before  I  will  lose 
my  revenge." 

And  she  laughed  a  ferocious  laugh,  that  made  the 
hairs  on  the  back  of  her  black  cat  stand  erect  with 
terror. 

Then  she  went  to  an  old  chest  in  the  room,  and 
opening  it,  took  out  what  looked  like  a  piece  of  dried 
seaweed.  This  she  threw  into  a  tub  of  water.  Then 
she  threw  some  powder  into  the  water,  and  stirred 
it  with  her  bare  arm,  muttering  over  it  words  of 
hideous  sound,  and  yet  more  hideous  import.  Then 
she  set  the  tub  aside,  and  took  from  the  chest  a  huge 
bunch  of  a  hundred  rusty  keys,  that  clattered  in  her 
shaking  hands.  Then  she  sat  down  and  proceeded 
to  oil  them  all.  Before  she  had  finished,  out  from 
the  tub,  the  water  of  which  had  kept  on  a  slow  mo- 
tion ever  since  she  had  ceased  stirring  it,  came  the 
head  and  half  the  body  of  a  huge  gray  snake.  But 
the  witch  did  not  look  round.  It  grew  out  of  the 
tub,  waving  itself  backwards  and  forwards  with  a 
slow  horizontal  motion,  till  it  reached  the  princess, 
when  it  laid  its  head  upon  her  shoulder,  and  gave  a 
low  hiss  in  her  ear.  She  started — but  with  joy ;  and 
seeing  the  head  resting  on  her  shoulder,  drew  it 
towards  her  and  kissed  it.  Then  she  drew  it  all  out 
of  the  tub,  and  wound  it  round  her  body.     It  was 


The  Light  Princess  333 

one  of  those  dreadful  creatures  which  few  have  ever 
beheld — the  White  Snakes  of  Darkness. 

Then  she  took  the  keys  and  went  down  to  her 
cellar ;  and  as  she  unlocked  the  door  she  said  to  her- 
self: 

"  This  is  worth  living  for !  " 

Locking  the  door  behind  her,  she  descended  a  few 
steps  into  the  cellar,  and  crossing  it,  unlocked  an- 
other door  into  a  dark,  narrow  passage.  She  locked 
this  also  behind  her,  and  descended  a  few  more 
steps.  If  any  one  had  followed  the  witch-princess, 
he  would  have  heard  her  unlock  exactly  one  hundred 
doors,  and  descend  a  few  steps  after  unlocking  each. 
When  she  had  unlocked  the  last,  she  entered  a  vast 
cave,  the  roof  of  which  was  supported  by  huge 
natural  pillars  of  rock.  Now  this  roof  was  the 
under  side  of  the  bottom  of  the  lake. 

She  then  untwined  the  snake  from  her  body,  and 
held  it  by  the  tail  high  above  her.  The  hideous 
creature  stretched  up  its  head  towards  the  roof  of 
the  cavern,  which  it  was  just  able  to  reach.  It  then 
began  to  move  its  head  backwards  and  forwards} 
with  a  slow  oscillating  motion,  as  if  looking  for 
something.  At  the  same  moment  the  witch  began 
to  walk  round  and  round  the  cavern,  coming  nearer 
to  the  centre  every  circuit;  while  the  head  of  the 
snake  described  the  same  path  over  the  roof  that 
she  did  over  the  floor,  for  she  kept  holding  it  up. 
And  still  it  kept  slowly  oscillating.  Round  and 
round  the  cavern  they  went,  ever  lessening  the  cir- 
cuit, till  at  last  the  snake  made  a  sudden  dart,  and 
clung  to  the  roof  with  its  mouth. 


334    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"  That's  right,  my  beauty !  "  cried  the  princess ; 
"  drain  it  dry." 

She  let  it  go,  left  it  hanging,  and  sat  down  on  a 
great  stone,  with  her  black  cat,  which  had  followed 
her  all  round  the  cave,  by  her  side.  Then  she  began 
to  knit  and  mutter  awful  words.  The  snake  hung 
like  a  huge  leech,  sucking  at  the  stone ;  the  cat  stood 
with  his  back  arched,  and  his  tail  like  a  piece  of 
cable,  looking  up  at  the  snake ;  and  the  old  woman 
sat  and  knitted  and  muttered.  Seven  days  and  seven 
nights  they  remained  thus;  when  suddenly  the  ser- 
pent dropped  from  the  roof  as  if  exhausted,  and 
shrivelled  up  till  it  was  again  like  a  piece  of  dried 
seaweed.  The  witch  started  to  her  feet,  picked  it 
up,  put  it  in  her  pocket,  and  looked  up  at  the  roof. 
One  drop  of  water  was  trembling  on  the  spot  where 
the  snake  had  been  sucking.  As  soon  as  she  saw 
that,  she  turned  and  fled,  followed  by  her  cat.  Shut- 
ting the  door  in  a  terrible  hurry,  she  locked  it, 
and  having  muttered  some  frightful  words,  sped  to 
the  next,  which  also  she  locked  and  muttered  over ; 
and  so  with  all  the  hundred  doors,  till  she  arrived 
in  her  own  cellar.  Then  she  sat  down  on  the  floor 
ready  to  faint,  but  listening  with  malicious  delight 
to  the  rushing  of  the  water,  which  she  could  hear 
distinctly  through  all  the  hundred  doors. 

But  this  was  not  enough.  Now  that  she  had 
tasted  revenge,  she  lost  her  patience.  Without  fur- 
ther measures,  the  lake  would  be  too  long  in  dis- 
appearing. So  the  next  night,  with  the  last  shred  of 
the  dying  old  moon  rising,  she  took  some  of  the 
water  in  which  she  had  revived  the  snake,  put  it  in 
a  bottle,  and  set  out,  accompanied  by  her  cat.    Be- 


The  Light  Princess  335 

fore  morning  she  had  made  the  entire  circuit  of  the 
lake,  muttering  fearful  words  as  she  crossed  every 
stream,  and  casting  into  it  some  of  the  water  out 
of  her  bottle.  When  she  had  finished  the  circuit  she 
muttered  yet  again,  and  flung  a  handful  of  water 
towards  the  moon.  Thereupon  every  spring  in  the 
country  ceased  to  throb  and  bubble,  dying  away 
like  the  pulse  of  a  dying  man.  The  next  day  there 
was  no  sound  of  falling  water  to  be  heard  along 
the  borders  of  the  lake.  The  very  courses  were  dry ; 
and  the  mountains  showed  no  silvery  streaks  down 
their  dark  sides.  And  not  alone  had  the  fountains 
of  mother  Earth  ceased  to  flow;  for  all  the  babies 
throughout  the  country  were  crying  dreadfully — 
only  without  tears. 


XII 

Where  Is  the  Prince? 

Never  since  the  night  when  the  princess  left  him 
so  abruptly  had  the  prince  had  a  single  interview 
with  her.  He  had  seen  her  once  or  twice  in  the 
lake ;  but  as  far  as  he  could  discover,  she  had  not 
been  in  it  any  more  at  night.  He  had  sat  and  sung, 
and  looked  in  vain  for  his  Nereid,  while  she,  like  a 
true  Nereid,  was  wasting  away  with  her  lake,  sink- 
ing as  it  sank,  withering  as  it  dried.  When  at 
length  he  discovered  the  change  that  Was  taking 
place  in  the  level  of  the  water,  he  was  in  great  alarm 
and  perplexity.  He  could  not  tell  whether  the  lake 
was  dying  because  the  lady  had  forsaken  it;  or 


336    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Knoiv 

whether  the  lady  would  not  come  because  the  lake 
had  begun  to  sink.  But  he  resolved  to  know  so 
much  at  least. 

He  disguised  himself,  and,  going  to  the  palace, 
requested  to  see  the  lord  chamberlain.  His  appear- 
ance at  once  gained  his  request ;  and  the  lord  cham- 
berlain, being  a  man  of  some  insight,  perceived  that 
there  was  more  in  the  prince's  solicitation  than  met 
the  ear.  He  felt  likewke  that  no  one  could  tell 
whence  a  solution  of  the  present  difficulties  might 
arise.  So  he  granted  the  prince's  prayer  to  be  made 
shoeblack  to  the  princess.  It  was  rather  cunning 
in  the  prince  to  request  such  an  easy  post,  for  the 
princess  could  not  possibly  soil  as  many  shoes  as 
other  princesses. 

He  soon  learned  all  that  could  be  told  about  the 
princess.  He  went  nearly  distracted;  but  after 
roaming  about  the  lake  for  days,  and  diving  in 
every  depth  that  remained,  all  that  he  could  do  was 
to  put  an  extra  polish  on  the  dainty  pair  of  boots 
that  was  never  called  for. 

For  the  princess  kept  her  room,  with  the  curtains 
drawn  to  shut  out  the  dying  lake,  but  could  not 
shut  it  out  of  her  mind  for  a  moment.  It  haunted 
her  imagination  so  that  she  felt  as  if  the  lake  were 
her  soul,  drying  up  within  her,  first  to  mud,  then 
to  madness  and  death.  She  thus  brooded  over  the 
change,  with  all  its  dreadful  accompaniments,  till 
.she  was  nearly  distracted.  As  for  the  prince,,  she 
ihad  forgotten  him.  However  much  she  had  enjoyed 
ihis  company  in  the  water,  she  did  not  care  for  him 
without  it.  But  she  seemed  to  have  forgotten  her 
father  and  mother  too. 


The  Light  Princess  237 

The  lake  went  on  sinking.  Small  slimy  spots  be- 
gan to  appear,  which  glittered  steadily  amidst  the 
changeful  shine  of  the  water.  These  grew  to  broad 
patches  of  mud,  which  widened  and  spread,  with 
rocks  here  and  there,  and  floundering  fishes  and 
crawling  eels  swarming.  The  people  went  every- 
where catching  these,  and  looking  for  anything  that 
might  have  dropped  from  the  royal  boats. 

At  length  the  lake  was  all  but  gone,  only  a  few 
of  the  deepest  pools  remaining  unexhausted. 

It  happened  one  day  that  a  party  of  youngsters 
found  themselves  on  the  brink  of  one  of  these  pools 
in  the  very  centre  of  the  lake.  It  was  a  rocky 
basin  of  considerable  depth.  Looking  in,  they  saw 
at  the  bottom  something  that  shone  yellow  in  the 
sun.  A  little  boy  jumped  in  and  dived  for  it.  It 
was  a  plate  of  gold  covered  with  writing.  They 
carried  it  to  the  king. 

On  one  side  of  it  stood  these  words : 

"  Death  alone  from  death  can  save. 
Love  is  death,  and  so  is  brave. 
Love  can  fill  the  deepest  grave. 
Love  loves  on  beneath  the  wave." 

Now  this  was  enigmatical  enough  to  the  king  and 
courtiers.  But  the  reverse  of  the  plate  explained  it 
a  little.    Its  writing  amounted  to  this : 

"  If  the  lake  should  disappear,  they  must  find  the 
hole  through  which  the  water  ran.  But  it  would  be 
useless  to  try  to  stop  it  by  any  ordinary  means. 
There  was  but  one  effectual  mode.  The  body  of  a 
living  man  could  alone  staunch  the  flow.    The  man 


338     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

must  give  himself  of  his  own  will;  and  the  lake 
must  take  his  life  as  it  filled.  Otherwise  the  offer- 
ing would  be  of  no  avail.  If  the  nation  could  not 
provide  one  hero,  it  was  time  it  should  perish." 


XIII 
Here  I  Am! 

This  was  a  very  disheartening  revelation  to  the 
king — not  that  he  was  unwilling  to  sacrifice  a  sub- 
ject, but  that  he  was  hopeless  of  finding  a  man  will- 
ing to  sacrifice  himself.  No  time  was  to  be  lost, 
however,  for  the  princess  was  lying  motionless  on 
her  bed,  and  taking  no  nourishment  but  lake-water, 
which  was  now  none  of  the  best.  Therefore  the 
king  caused  the  contents  of  the  wonderful  plate  of 
gold  to  be  published  throughout  the  country. 

No  one,  however,  came  forward. 

The  prince,  having  gone  several  days'  journey 
into  the  forest,  to  consult  a  hermit  whom  he  had 
met  there  on  his  way  to  Lagobel,  knew  nothing  of 
the  oracle  till  his  return. 

When  he  had  acquainted  himself  with  all  the 
particulars,  he  sat  down  and  thought : 

"  She  will  die  if  I  don't  do  it,  and  life  would  be 
nothing  to  me  without  her;  so  I  shall  lose  nothing 
by  doing  it.  And  life  will  be  as  pleasant  to  her  as 
ever,  for  she  will  soon  forget  me.  And  there  will 
be  so  much  more  beauty  and  happiness  in  the  world ! 
To  be  sure,  I  shall  not  see  it."  (Here  the  poor 
prince  gave  a  sigh.)  "  How  lovely  the  lake  will  be 
in  the  moonlight,  with  that  glorious  creature  sport- 


The  Light  Princess  339 

ing  in  it  like  a  wild  goddess !  It  is  rather  hard  to  be 
drowned  by  inches,  though.  Let  me  see — that  will 
be  seventy  inches  of  me  to  drown."  (Here  he  tried 
to  laugh,  but  could  not.)  "  The  longer  the  better, 
however,"  he  resumed,  "  for  can  I  not  bargain  that 
the  princess  shall  be  beside  me  all  the  time?  So  I 
shall  see  her  once  more,  kiss  her  perhaps — who 
knows?  and  die  looking  in  her  eyes.  It  will  be  no 
death.  At  least,  I  shall  not  feel  it.  And  to  see  the 
lake  filling  for  the  beauty  again!  All  right!  I  am 
ready." 

He  kissed  the  princess's  boot,  laid  it  down,  and 
hurried  to  the  king's  apartment.  But  feeling,  as  he 
went,  that  anything  sentimental  would  be  disagree- 
able, he  resolved  to  carry  off  the  whole  affair  with 
nonchalance.  So  he  knocked  at  the  door  of  the 
king's  counting-house,  where  it  was  all  but  a  capital 
crime  to  disturb  him. 

When  the  king  heard  the  knock,  he  started  up, 
and  opened  the  door  in  a  rage.  Seeing  only  the 
shoeblack,  he  drew  his  sword.  This,  I  am  sorry  to 
say,  was  his  usual  mode  of  asserting  his  regality 
when  he  thought  his  dignity  was  in  danger.  But 
the  prince  was  not  in  the  least  alarmed. 

"  Please  your  majesty,  I'm  your  butler,"  said  he. 

"  My  butler !  you  lying  rascal !  What  do  you. 
mean  ?  " 

"  I  mean,  I  will  cork  your  big  bottle." 

"  Is  the  fellow  mad  ?  "  bawled  the  king,  raising 
the  point  of  his  sword. 

"  I  will  put  the  stopper — plug — what  you  call  it,  in 
your  leaky  lake,  grand  monarch,"  said  the  prince. 

The  kins:  was  in  such  a  rage  that  before  he  could 


34°    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

speak  he  had  time  to  cool,  and  to  reflect  that  it 
would  be  great  waste  to  kill  the  only  man  who  was 
willing  to  be  useful  in  the  present  emergency,  see- 
ing that  in  the  end  the  insolent  fellow  would  be  as 
dead  as  if  he  had  died  by  his  majesty's  own  hand. 

"  Oh !  "  said  he  at  last,  putting  up  his  sword  with 
difficulty,  it  was  so  long ;  "  I  am  obliged  to  you,  you 
young  fool !    Take  a  glass  of  wine  ?  " 

"  No,  thank  you,"  replied  the  prince. 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  king.  "  Would  you  like  to 
run  and  see  your  parents  before  you  make  your 
experiment  ?  " 

"  No,  thank  you,"  said  the  prince. 

"  Then  we  will  go  and  look  for  the  hole  at  once," 
said  his  majesty,  and  proceeded  to  call  some  at- 
tendants. 

"  Stop,  please  your  majesty,  I  have  a  condition  to 
make,"  interposed  the  prince. 

"  What !  "  exclaimed  the  king,  "  a  condition !  and 
with  me !    How  dare  you  ?  " 

"  As  you  please,"  returned  the  prince,  coolly.  "  I 
wish  your  majesty  a  good  morning." 

"  You  wretch !  I  will  have  you  put  in  a  sack,  and 
stuck  in  the  hole." 

"  Very  well,  your  majesty,"  replied  the  prince,  be- 
coming a  little  more  respectful,  lest  the  wrath  of  the 
king  should  deprive  him  of  the  pleasure  of  dying  for 
the  princess.  "  But  what  good  will  that  do  your 
majesty?  Please  to  remember  that  the  oracle  says 
the  victim  must  offer  himself." 

"  Well,  you  have  offered  yourself,"  retorted  the 
king. 

"  Yes,  upon  one  condition." 


The  Light  Princess  341 

"  Condition  again !  "  roared  the  king,  once  more 
drawing  his  sword.  "  Begone !  Somebody  else  will 
be  glad  enough  to  take  the  honour  off  your  shoul- 
ders." 

"  Your  majesty  knows  it  will  not  be  easy  to  get 
another  to  take  my  place." 

"Well,  what  is  your  condition?"  growled  the 
king,  feeling  that  the  prince  was  right. 

"  Only  this,"  replied  the  prince ;  "  that,  as  I  must 
on  no  account  die  before  I  am  fairly  drowned,  and 
the  waiting  will  be  rather  wearisome,  the  princess, 
your  daughter,  shall  go  with  me,  feed  me  with  her 
own  hands,  and  look  at  me  now  and  then  to  comfort 
me;  for  you  must  confess  it  is  rather  hard.  As 
soon  as  the  water  is  up  to  my  eyes,  she  may  go  and 
be  happy,  and  forget  her  poor  shoeblack." 

Here  the  prince's  voice  faltered,  and  he  very 
nearly  grew  sentimental,  in  spite  of  his  resolution. 

"  Why  didn't  you  tell  me  before  what  your  condi- 
tion was  ?  Such  a.  fuss  about  nothing !  "  exclaimed 
the  king. 

"  Do  you  grant  it?  "  persisted  the  prince. 

"  Of  course  I  do,"  replied  the  king. 

"  Very  well.    I  am  ready." 

"  Go  and  have  some  dinner,  then,  while  I  set  my 
people  to  find  the  place." 

The  king  ordered  out  his  guards,  and  gave  direc- 
tions to  the  officers  to  find  the  hole  in  the  lake  at 
once.  So  the  bed  of  the  lake  was  marked  out  in 
divisions  and  thoroughly  examined,  and  in  an  hour 
or  so  the  hole  was  discovered.  It  was  in  the  middle 
of  a  stone,  near  the  centre  of  the  lake,  in  the  very 
pool  where  the  golden  plate  had  been  found.     It  was 


342     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

a  three-cornered  hole  of  no  great  size.  There  was 
water  all  round  the  stone,  but  very  little  was  flowing 
through  the  hole. 


XIV 
This  Is  Very  Kind  of  You 

The  prince  went  to  dress  for  the  occasion,  for  he 
was  resolved  to  die  like  a  prince. 

When  the  princess  heard  that  a  man  had  offered 
to  die  for  her,  she  was  so  transported  that  she 
jumped  off  the  bed,  feeble  as  she  was,  and  danced 
about  the  room  for  joy.  She  did  not  care  who  the 
man  was ;  that  was  nothing  to  her.  The  hole  wanted 
stopping;  and  if  only  a  man  would  do,  why,  take 
one.  In  an  hour  or  two  more  everything  was  ready. 
Her  maid  dressed  her  in  haste,  and  they  carried  her 
to  the  side  of  the  lake.  When  she  saw  it  she 
shrieked,  and  covered  her  face  with  her  hands.  They 
bore  her  across  to  the  stone,  where  they  had  already 
placed  a  little  boat  for  her.  The  water  was  not 
deep  enough  to  float  in,  but  they  hoped  it  would  be, 
before  long.  They  laid  her  on  cushions,  placed  in 
the  boat  wines  and  fruits  and  other  nice  things,  and 
stretched  a  canopy  over  all. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  prince  appeared.  The  prin- 
cess recognised  him  at  once,  but  did  not  think  it 
worth  while  to  acknowledge  him. 

"  Here  I  am,"  said  the  prince.    "  Put  me  in." 

"  They  told  me  it  was  a  shoeblack,"  said  the 
princess. 

"  So  I  am,"  said  the  prince.     "  I  blacked  your 


The  Light  Princess  343 

little  boots  three  times  a  day,  because  they  were  all 
I  could  get  of  you.    Put  me  in." 

The  courtiers  did  not  resent  his  bluntness,  except 
by  saying  to  each  other  that  he  was  taking  it  out 
in  impudence. 

But  how  was  he  to  be  put  in  ?  The  golden  plate 
contained  no  instructions  on  this  point.  The  prince 
looked  at  the  hole,  and  saw  but  one  way.  He  put 
both  his  legs  into  it,  sitting  on  the  stone,  and,  stoop- 
ing forward,  covered  the  corner  that  remained  open 
with  his  two  hands.  In  this  uncomfortable  position 
he  resolved  to  abide  his  fate,  and  turning  to  the 
people,  said : 

"  Now  you  can  go." 

The  king  had  already  gone  home  to  dinner. 

"  Now  you  can  go,"  repeated  the  princess  after 
him,  like  a  parrot. 

The  people  obeyed  her  and  went. 

Presently  a  little  wave  flowed  over  the  stone,  and 
wetted  one  of  the  prince's  knees.  But  he  did  not 
mind  it  much.  He  began  to  sing,  and  the  song  he 
sang  was  this : 

"  As  a  world  that  has  no  well, 
Darkly  bright  in  forest  dell ; 
As  a  world  without  the  gleam 
Of  the  downward-going  stream; 
As  a  world  without  the  glance 
Of  the  ocean's  fair  expanse; 
As  a  world  where  never  rain 
Glittered  on  the  sunny  plain ; — 
Such,  my  heart,  thy  world  would  be, 
If  no  love  did  flow  in  thee. 


344    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"  As  a  world  without  the  sound 
Of  the  rivulets  underground ; 
Or  the  bubbling  of  the  spring 
Out  of  darkness  wandering; 
Or  the  mighty  rush  and  flowing 
Of  the  river's  downward  going; 
Or  the  music-showers  that  drop 
On  the  outspread  beech's  top ; 
Or  the  ocean's  mighty  voice, 
When  his  lifted  waves  rejoice ; — 
Such,  my  soul,  thy  world  would  be, 
If  no  love  did  sing  in  thee. 

"  Lady,  keep  thy  world's  delight, 
Keep  the  waters  in  thy  sight. 
Love  hath  made  me  strong  to  go, 
For  thy  sake,  to  realms  below, 
Where  the  water's  shine  and  hum 
Through  the  darkness  never  come. 
Let,  I  pray,  one  thought  of  me 
Spring,  a  little  well,  in  thee ; 
Lest  thy  loveless  soul  be  found 
Like  a  dry  and  thirsty  ground." 

"  Sing  again,  prince.  It  makes  it  less  tedious," 
said  the  princess. 

But  the  prince  was  too  much  overcome  to  sing  any 
more,  and  a  long  pause  followed. 

"  This  is  ver}'  kind  of  you,  prince,"  said  the  prin- 
cess at  last,  quite  coolly,  as  she  lay  in  the  boat  with 
her  eyes  shut. 

"  I  am  sorry  I  can't  return  the  compliment," 
thought  the  prince,  "  but  you  are  worth  dying  for, 
after  all." 


The  Light  Princess  345 

Again  a  wavelet,  and  another,  and  another  flowed 
over  the  stone,  and  wetted  both  the  prince's  knees ; 
but  he  did  not  speak  or  move.  Two — three — four 
hours  passed  in  this  way,  the  princess  apparently- 
asleep,  and  the  prince  very  patient.  But  he  was 
much  disappointed  in  his  position,  for  he  had  none 
of  the  consolation  he  had  hoped  for. 

At  last  he  could  bear  it  no  longer. 

"  Princess !  "  said  he. 

But  at  the  moment  up  started  the  princess,  cry- 
ing: 

"I'm  afloat!    I'm  afloat!" 

And  the  little  boat  bumped  against  the  stone. 

"Princess!"  repeated  the  prince,  encouraged  by 
seeing  her  wide  awake  and  looking  eagerly  at  the 
water. 

"  Well  ?  "  said  she,  without  looking  round. 

"  Your  papa  promised  that  you  should  look  at  me, 
and  you  haven't  looked  at  me  once." 

"  Did  he?  Then  I  suppose  I  must.  But  I  am  so 
sleepy !  " 

"  Sleep,  then,  darling,  and  don't  mind  me,"  said 
the  poor  prince. 

"  Really,  you  are  very  good,"  replied  the  princess. 
"  I  think  I  will  go  to  sleep  again." 

"  Just  give  me  a  glass  of  wine  and  a  biscuit  first," 
said  the  prince,  very  humbly. 

"  With  all  my  heart,"  said  the  princess,  and 
yawned  as  she  said  it. 

She  got  the  wine  and  the  biscuit,  however,  and 
leaning  over  the  side  of  the  boat  towards  him,  was 
compelled  to  look  at  him. 


346    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

"  Why,  prince,"  she  said,  "  you  don't  look  well ! 
Are  you  sure  you  don't  mind  it  ?  " 

"  Not  a  bit,"  answered  he,  feeling  very  faint  in- 
deed. "  Only  I  shall  die  before  it  is  of  any  use  to 
you,  unless  I  have  something  to  eat." 

"  There,  then,"  said  she,  holding  out  the  wine  to 
him. 

"  Ah !  you  must  feed  me.  I  dare  not  move  my 
hands.    The  water  would  run  away  directly." 

"  Good  gracious !  "  said  the  princess ;  and  she  be- 
gan at  once  to  feed  him  with  bits  of  biscuit  and  sips 
of  wine. 

As  she  fed  him,  he  contrived  to  kiss  the  tips  of  her 
fingers  now  and  then.  She  did  not  seem  to  mind  it, 
one  way  or  the  other.    But  the  prince  felt  better. 

"  Now,  for  your  own  sake,  princess,"  said  he,  "  I 
cannot  let  you  go  to  sleep.  You  must  sit  and  look 
at  me,  else  I  shall  not  be  able  to  keep  up." 

"  Well,  I  will  do  anything  to  oblige  you,"  answered 
she,  with  condescension;  and,  sitting  down,  she  did 
look  at  him,  and  kept  looking  at  him  with  wonderful 
steadiness,  considering  all  things. 

The  sun  went  down,  and  the  moon  rose,  and,  gush 
after  gush,  the  waters  were  rising  up  the  prince's 
body.    They  were  up  to  his  waist  now. 

"  Why  can't  we  go  and  have  a  swim  ?  "  said  the 
princess.  "  There  seems  to  be  water  enough  just 
about  here." 

"  I  shall  never  swim  more,"  said  the  prince. 

"  Oh,  I  forgot,"  said  the  princess,  and  was  silent. 

So  the  water  grew  and  grew,  and  rose  up  and  up 
on  the  prince.  And  the  princess  sat  and  looked  at 
him.    She  fed  him  now  and  then.    The  night  wore 


The  Light  Princess  347 

on.  The  waters  rose  and  rose.  The  moon  rose  like- 
wise higher  and  higher,  and  shone  full  on  the  face 
of  the  dying  prince.    The  water  was  up  to  his  neck. 

"  Will  you  kiss  me,  princess  ?  "  said  he,  feebly. 
The  nonchalance  was  all  gone  now. 

"  Yes,  I  will,"  answered  the  princess,  and  kissed 
him  with  a  long,  sweet,  cold  kiss. 

"  Now,"  said  he,  with  a  sigh  of  content,  "  I  die 
happy." 

He  did  not  speak  again.  The  princess  gave  him 
some  wine  for  the  last  time :  he  was  past  eating. 
Then  she  sat  down  again,  and  looked  at  him.  The 
water  rose  and  rose.  It  touched  his  chin.  It  touched 
his  lower  lip.  It  touched  between  his  lips.  He  shut 
them  hard  to  keep  it  out.  The  princess  began  to  feel 
strange.  It  touched  his  upper  lip.  He  breathed 
through  his  nostrils.  The  princess  looked  wild.  It 
covered  his  nostrils.  Her  eyes  looked  scared,  and 
shone  strange  in  the  moonlight.  His  head  fell  back ; 
the  water  closed  over  it,  and  the  bubbles  of  his  last 
breath  bubbled  up  through  the  water.  The  princess 
gave  a  shriek,  and  sprang  into  the  lake. 

She  laid  hold  first  of  .one  leg,  and  then  of  the 
other,  and  pulled  and  tugged,  but  she  could  not  move 
either.  She  stopped  to  take  breath,  and  that  made 
her  think  that  he  could  not  get  any  breath.  She 
was  frantic.  She  got  hold  of  him,  and  held  his 
head  above  the  water,  which  was  possible  now  his 
hands  were  no  longer  on  the  hole.  But  it  was  of  no 
use,  for  he  was  past  breathing. 

Love  and  water  brought  back  all  her  strength. 
She  got  under  the  water,  and  pulled  and  pulled 
with  her  whole  might,  till  at  last  she  got  one  leg  out. 


348     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

The  other  easily  followed.  How  she  got  him  into 
the  boat  she  never  could  tell ;  but  when  she  did,  she 
fainted  away.  Coming  to  herself,  she  seized  the 
oars,  kept  herself  steady  as  best  she  could,  and 
rowed  and  rowed,  though  she  had  never  rowed  be- 
fore. Round  rocks,  and  over  shallows,  and  through 
mud  she  rowed,  till  she  got  to  the  landing-stairs  of 
the  palace.  By  this  time  her  people  were  on  the 
shore,  for  they  had  heard  her  shriek.  She  made 
them  carry  the  prince  to  her  own  room,  and  lay 
him  in  her  bed,  and  light  a  fire,  and  send  for  the 
doctors. 

"  But  the  lake,  your  highness !  "  said  the  cham- 
berlain, who,  roused  by  the  noise,  came  in,  in  his 
nightcap. 

"  Go  and  drown  yourself  in  it !  "  she  said. 

This  was  the  last  rudeness  of  which  the  princess 
was  ever  guilty;  and  one  must  allow  that  she  had 
good  cause  to  feel  provoked  with  the  lord  chamber- 
lain. 

Had  it  been  the  king  himself,  he  would  have  fared 
no  better.  But  both  he  and  the  queen  were  fast 
asleep.  And  the  chamberlain  went  back  to  his  bed. 
Somehow,  the  doctors  never  came.  So  the  princess 
and  her  old  nurse  were  left  with  the  prince.  But  the 
old  nurse  was  a  wise  woman,  and  knew  what  to  do. 

They  tried  everything  for  a  long  time  without  suc- 
cess. The  princess  was  nearly  distracted  between 
hope  and  fear,  but  she  tried  on  and  on,  one  thing 
after  another,  and  everything  over  and  over  again. 

At  last,  when  they  had  all  but  given  it  up,  just 
as  the  sun  rose,  the  prince  opened  his  eyes. 


The  Light  Princess  349 

XV 

Look  at  the  Rain! 

The  princess  burst  into  a  passion  of  tears  and  fell 
on  the  floor.  There  she  lay  for  an  hour,  and  her 
tears  never  ceased.  All  the  pent-up  crying  of  her 
life  was  spent  now.  And  a  rain  came  on,  such  as 
had  never  been  seen  in  that  country.  The  sun  shone 
all  the  time,  and  the  great  drops,  which  fell  straight 
to  the  earth,  shone  likewise.  The  palace  was  in  the 
heart  of  a  rainbow.  It  was  a  rain  of  rubies,  and  sap- 
phires, and  emeralds,  and  topazes.  The  torrents 
poured  from  the  mountains  like  molten  gold ;  and  if 
it  had  not  been  for  its  subterraneous  outlet,  the  lake 
would  have  overflowed  and  inundated  the  country. 
It  was  full  from  shore  to  shore. 

But  the  princess  did  not  heed  the  lake.  She  lay 
on  the  floor  and  wept.  And  this  rain  within  doors 
was  far  more  wonderful  than  the  rain  out  of  doors. 
For  when  it  abated  a  little,  and  she  proceeded  to  rise, 
she  found,  to  her  astonishment,  that  she  could  not. 
At  length,  after  many  efforts,  she  succeeded  in  get- 
ting upon  her  feet.  But  she  tumbled  down  again 
directly.  Hearing  her  fall,  her  old  nurse  uttered 
a  yell  of  delight,  and  ran  to  her,  screaming : 

"  My  darling  child !  she's  found  her  gravity  !  " 

"  Oh,  that's  it !  is  it  ?  "  said  the  princess,  rubbing 
her  shoulder  and  her  knee  alternately.  "  I  consider 
it  very  unpleasant.  I  feel  as  if  I  should  be  crushed 
to  pieces." 

"  Hurrah !  "  cried  the  prince  from  the  bed.    "  If 


35°    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

you've  come  round,  princess,  so  have  I.  How's  the 
lake?" 

"  Brimful,"  answered  the  nurse. 

"  Then  we're  all  happy." 

"  That  we  are  indeed !  "  answered  the  princess, 
sobbing. 

And  there  was  rejoicing  all  over  the  country  that 
rainy  day.  Even  the  babies  forgot  their  past  trou- 
bles, and  danced  and  crowed  amazingly.  And  the 
king  told  stories,  and  the  queen  listened  to  them. 
And  he  divided  the  money  in  his  box,  and  she  the 
honey  in  her  pot,  among  all  the  children.  And  there 
was  such  jubilation  as  was  never  heard  of  before. 

Of  course  the  prince  and  princess  were  betrothed 
at  once.  But  the  princess  had  to  learn  to  walk, 
before  they  could  be  married  with  any  propriety. 
And  this  was  not  so  easy  at  her  time  of  life,  for  she 
could  walk  no  more  than  a  baby.  She  was  always 
falling  down  and  hurting  herself. 

"  Is  this  the  gravity  you  used  to  make  so  much 
of  ?  "  said  she  one  day  to  the  prince,  as  he  raised  her 
from  the  floor.  "  For  my  part,  I  was  a  great  deal 
more  comfortable  without  it." 

"  No,  no,  that's  not  it.  This  is  it,"  replied  the 
prince,  as  he  took  her  up,  and  carried  her  about  like 
a  baby,  kissing  her  all  the  time.    "  This  is  gravity." 

"  That's  better,"  said  she.  "  I  don't  mind  that  so 
much." 

And  she  smiled  the  sweetest,  loveliest  smile  in  the 
prince's  face.  And  she  gave  him  one  little  kiss  in 
return  for  all  his;  and  he  thought  them  overpaid, 
for  he  was  beside  himself  with  delight.    I  fear  she 


The  Light  Princess  351 

complained  of  her  gravity  more  than  once  after  this, 
notwithstanding. 

It  was  a  long  time  before  she  got  reconciled  to 
walking.  But  the  pain  of  learning  it  was  quite 
counterbalanced  by  two  things,  either  of  which 
would  have  been  sufficient  consolation.  The  first 
was,  that  the  prince  himself  was  her  teacher;  and 
the  second,  that  she  could  tumble  into  the  lake  as 
often  as  she  pleased.  Still,  she  preferred  to  have 
the  prince  jump  in  with  her;  and  the  splash  they 
made  before  was  nothing  to  the  splash  they  made 
now. 

The  lake  never  sank  again.  In  process  of  time 
it  wore  the  roof  of  the  cavern  quite  through,  and  was 
twice  as  deep  as  before. 

The  only  revenge  the  princess  took  upon  her  aunt 
was  to  tread  pretty  hard  on  her  gouty  toe  the  next 
time  she  saw  her.  But  she  was  sorry  for  it  the  very 
next  day,  when  she  heard  that  the  water  had  under- 
mined her  house,  and  that  it  had  fallen  in  the  night, 
burying  her  in  its  ruins;  whence  no  one  ever  ven- 
tured to  dig  up  her  body.    There  she  lies  to  this  day. 

So  the  prince  and  princess  lived  and  were  happy ; 
and  had  crowns  of  gold,  and  clothes  of  cloth,  and 
shoes  of  leather,  and  children  of  boys  and  girls,  not 
one  of  whom  was  ever  known,  on  the  most  critical 
occasion,  to  lose  the  smallest  atom  of  his  or  her  due 
proportion  of  gravity. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 


BEAUTY   AND   THE  BEAST 


There  was  once  a  very  rich  merchant,  who  had 
six  children,  three  boys  and  three  girls.  As  he  was 
himself  a  man  of  great  sense,  he  spared  no  expense 
for  their  education,  but  provided  them  with  all  sorts 
of  masters  for  their  improvement.  The  three  daugh- 
ters were  all  handsome,  but  particularly  the  young- 
est :  indeed  she  was  so  very  beautiful  that  in  her 
childhood  every  one  called  her  the  Little  Beauty, 
and  being  still  the  same  when  she  was  grown  up, 
nobody  called  her  by  any  other  name,  which  made 
her  sisters  very  jealous  of  her.  This  youngest 
daughter  was  not  only  more  handsome  than  her 
sisters,  but  was  also  better  tempered.  The  two  eld- 
est were  vain  of  being  rich,  and  spoke  with  pride 
to  those  they  thought  below  them.  They  gave 
themselves  a  thousand  airs,  and  would  not  visit  other 
merchants'  daughters ;  nor  would  they  indeed  be  seen 
with  any  but  persons  of  quality.  They  went  every 
day  to  balls,  plays,  and  public  walks,  and  always 
made  game  of  their  youngest  sister  for  spending  her 
time  in  reading,  or  other  useful  employments.  As 
it  was  well  known  that  these  young  ladies  would 
have  large  fortunes,  many  great  merchants  wished  to 
get  them  for  wives;  but  the  two  eldest  always 
answered  that,  for  their  parts,  they  had  no  thoughts 


Beauty  and  the  Beast  353 

of  marrying  any  one  below  a  duke,  or  an  earl  at 
least.  Beauty  had  quite  as  many  offers  as  her  sis- 
ters, but  she  always  answered  with  the  greatest  civil- 
ity, that  she  was  much  obliged  to  her  lovers,  but 
would  rather  live  some  years  longer  with  her  father, 
as  she  thought  herself  too  young  to  marry. 

It  happened  that  by  some  unlucky  accident  the 
merchant  suddenly  lost  all  his  fortune,  and  had  noth- 
ing left  but  a  small  cottage  in  the  country.  Upon 
this,  he  said  to  his  daughters,  while  the  tears  ran 
down  his  cheeks  all  the  time,  "My  children,  we 
must  now  go  and  dwell  in  the  cottage,  and  try  to  get 
a  living  by  labour,  for  we  have  no  other  means  of 
support."  The  two  eldest  replied  that,  for  their 
parts,  they  did  not  know  how  to  work,  and  would 
not  leave  town;  for  they  had  lovers  enough  who 
would  be  glad  to  marry  them,  though  they  had  no 
longer  any  fortune.  But  in  this  they  were  mistaken ; 
for  when  the  lovers  heard  what  had  happened,  they 
said,  "  The  girls  were  so  proud  and  ill-tempered, 
that  all  we  wanted  was  their  fortune;  we  are  not 
sorry  at  all  to  see  their  pride  brought  down.  Let 
them  give  themselves  airs  to  their  cows  and  sheep." 
But  every  body  pitied  poor  Beauty,  because  she  was 
so  sweet-tempered  and  kind  to  all  that  knew  her; 
and  several  gentlemen  offered  to  marry  her,  though 
she  had  not  a  penny;  but  Beauty  still  refused,  and 
said  she  could  not  think  of  leaving  her  poor  father 
in  this  trouble  and  would  go  and  help  him  in  his  la- 
bours in  the  country.  At  first  Beauty  could  not  help 
sometimes  crying  in  secret  for  the  hardships  she 
was  now  obliged  to  suffer ;  but  in  a  very  short  time 
she  said  to  herself,  "All  the  crying  in  the  world  will 


354     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

do  me  no  good,  so  I  will  try  to  be  happy  without  a 
fortune." 

When  they  had  removed  to  their  cottage,  the  mer- 
chant and  his  three  sons  employed  themselves  in 
ploughing  and  sowing  the  fields,  and  working  in  the 
garden.  Beauty  also  did  her  part,  for  she  got  up  by 
four  o'clock  every  morning,  lighted  the  fires,  cleaned 
the  house,  and  got  the  breakfast  for  the  whole  fam- 
ily. At  first  she  found  all  this  very  hard;  but  she 
soon  grew  quite  used  to  it,  and  thought  it  no  hard- 
ship at  all;  and  indeed  the  work  greatly  amended 
her  health.  When  she  had  done,  she  used  to  amuse 
herself  with  reading,  playing  on  her  music,  or  sing- 
ing while  she  spun.  But  her  two  sisters  were  at  a 
loss  what  to  do  to  pass  the  time  away:  they  had 
their  breakfast  in  bed,  and  did  not  rise  till  ten  o'clock. 
Then  they  commonly  walked  out ;  but  always  found 
themselves  very  soon  tired ;  when  they  would  often 
sit  down  under  a  shady  tree,  and  grieve  for  the  loss 
of  their  carriage  and  fine  clothes,  and  say  to  each 
other,  "  What  a  mean-spirited  poor  stupid  creature 
our  young  sister  is,  to  be  so  content  with  our  low 
way  of  life !  "  But  their  father  thought  in  quite  an- 
other way:  he  admired  the  patience  of  this  sweet 
young  creature ;  for  her  sisters  not  only  left  her  to 
do  the  whole  work  of  the  house,  but  made  game  of 
her  every  moment. 

After  they  had  lived  in  this  manner  about  a  year, 
the  merchant  received  a  letter,  which  informed  him 
that  one  of  the  richest  ships,  which  he  thought  was 
lost,  had  just  come  into  port.  This  news  made  the 
two  eldest  sisters  almost  mad  with  joy;  for  they 
thought  they  should  now  leave  the  cottage,  and  have 


Beauty  and  the  Beast  355 

all  their  finery  again.  When  they  found  that  their 
father  must  take  a  journey  to  the  ship,  the  two  eld- 
est begged  he  would  not  fail  to  bring  them  back 
some  new  gowns,  caps,  rings,  and  all  sorts  of  trin- 
kets. But  Beauty  asked  for  nothing ;  for  she  thought 
in  herself  that  all  the  ship  was  worth  would  hardly 
buy  every  thing  her  sisters  wished  for.  "  Beauty," 
said  the  merchant,  "  how  comes  it  about  that  you 
ask  for  nothing ;  what  can  I  bring  you,  my  child  ?  " 
"  Since  you  are  so  kind  as  to  think  of  me,  dear 
father,"  she  answered,  "  I  should  be  glad  if  you 
would  bring  me  a  rose,  for  we  have  none  in  our  gar- 
den." Mow  Beauty  did  not  indeed  wish  for  a  rose, 
nor  any  thing  else,  but  she  only  said  this,  that  she 
might  not  affront  her  sisters,  for  else  they  would 
have  said  she  wanted  her  father  to  praise  her  for  not 
asking  him  for  any  thing.  The  merchant  took  his 
leave  of  them  and  set  out  on  his  journey;  but  when 
he  got  to  the  ship,  some  persons  went  to  law  with 
him  about  the  cargo,  and  after  a  deal  of  trouble,  he 
came  back  to  his  cottage  as  poor  as  he  had  gone 
away.  When  he  was  within  thirty  miles  of  his  home, 
and  thinking  of  the  joy  he  should  have  in  again 
meeting  his  children,  his  road  lay  through  a  thick 
forest,  and  he  quite  lost  himself.  It  rained  and 
snowed  very  hard,  and  besides,  the  wind  was  so 
high  as  to  throw  him  twice  from  his  horse.  Night 
came  on,  and  he  thought  to  be  sure  he  should  die  of 
cold  and  hunger,  or  be  torn  to  pieces  by  the  wolves 
that  he  heard  howling  round  him.  All  at  once,  he 
now  cast  his  eyes  towards  a  long  row  of  trees,  and 
saw  a  light  at  the  end  of  them,  but  it  seemed  a  great 
way  off.    He  made  the  best  of  his  way  towards  it, 


356     Fairy  Talcs  Every  Child  Should  Know 

and  found  that  it  came  from  a  fine  palace,  lighted 
all  over.  He  walked  faster,  and  soon  reached  the 
gates,  which  he  opened,  and  was  very  much  sur- 
prised that  he  did  not  see  a  single  person  or  creature 
in  any  of  the  yards.  His  horse  had  followed  him, 
and  finding  a  stable  with  the  door  open,  went  into  it 
at  once;  and  here  the  poor  beast,  being  nearly 
starved,  helped  himself  to  a  good  meal  of  oats  and 
hay.  His  master  then  tied  him  up,  and  walked 
towards  the  house,  which  he  entered,  but  still  with' 
out  seeing  a  living  creature.  He  went  on  to  a  large 
hall,  where  he  found  a  good  fire,  and  a  table  cov- 
ered with  some  very  nice  dishes,  and  only  one  plate 
with  a  knife  and  fork.  As  the  snow  and  rain  had 
wetted  him  to  the  skin,  he  went  up  to  the  fire  to  dry 
himself.  "  I  hope,"  said  he,  "  the  master  of  the 
house  or  his  servants  will  excuse  me,  for  to  be  sure 
it  will  not  be  long  now  before  I  see  them.''  He 
waited  a  good  time,  but  still  nobody  came:  at  last 
the  clock  struck  eleven,  and  the  merchant,  being 
quite  faint  for  the  want  of  food,  helped  himself  to  a 
chicken,  which  he  made  but  two  mouth fuls  of,  and 
then  to  a  few  glasses  of  wine,  yet  all  the  time  trem- 
bling with  fear.  He  sat  till  the  clock  struck  twelve, 
but  did  not  see  a  single  creature.  He  now  took 
courage,  and  began  to  think  of  looking  a  little  more 
about  him;  so  he  opened  a  door  at  the  end  of  the 
hall,  and  went  through  it  into  a  very  grand  room, 
in  which  there  was  a  fine  bed ;  and  as  he  was  quite 
weak  and  tired,  he  shut  the  door,  took  off  his  clothes, 
and  got  into  it. 

It   was   ten   o'clock   in   the   morning  before   he 
thought  of  getting  up,  when  he  was  amazed  to  see 


Beauty  and  the  Beast  357 

a  handsome  new  suit  of  clothes  laid  ready  for  him, 
instead  of  his  own,  which  he  had  spoiled.  "  To  be 
sure,"  said  he  to  himself,  "  this  place  belongs  to 
some  good  fairy,  who  has  taken  pity  on  my  ill  luck." 
He  looked  out  of  the  window,  and,  instead  of  snow, 
he  saw  the  most  charming  arbours  covered  with  all 
kinds  of  flowers.  He  returned  to  the  hall,  where  he 
had  supped,  and  found  a  breakfast  table,  with  some 
chocolate  got  ready  for  him.  "  Indeed,  my  good 
fairy,"  said  the  merchant  aloud,  "  I  am  vastly  obliged 
to  you  for  your  kind  care  of  me."  He  then  made  a 
hearty  breakfast,  took  his  hat,  and  was  going  to  the 
stable  to  pay  his  horse  a  visit ;  but  as  he  passed 
under  one  of  the  arbours,  which  was  loaded  with 
roses,  he  thought  of  what  Beauty  had  asked  him 
to  bring  back  to  her,  and  so  he  took  a  bunch  of  roses 
to  carry  home.  At  the  same  moment  he  heard  a 
most  shocking  noise,  and  saw  such  a  frightful  beast 
coming  towards  him,  that  he  was  ready  to  drop  with 
fear.  "  Ungrateful  man !  "  said  the  beast,  in  a  terri- 
ble voice,  "  I  have  saved  your  life  by  letting  you 
into  my  palace,  and  in  return  you  steal  my  roses, 
which  I  value  more  than  any  thing  else  that  belongs 
to  me.  But  you  shall  make  amends  for  your  fault 
with  your  life.  You  shall  die  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour." 
The  merchant  fell  on  his  knees  to  the  beast,  and„ 
clasping  his  hands,  said,  "  My  lord,  I  humbly  beg 
your  pardon.  I  did  not  think  it  would  offend  you  to 
gather  a  rose  for  one  of  my  daughters,  who  wished 
to  have  one."  "  I  am  not  a  lord,  but  a  beast,"  replied 
the  monster ;  "  I  do  not  like  false  compliments,  but 
that  people  should  say  what  they  think :  so  do  not 
fancy  that  you  can  coax  me  by  any  such  ways.    You 


358     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

tell  me  that  you  have  daughters ;  now  I  will  pardon 
you,  if  one  of  them  will  agree  to  come  and  die  in- 
stead of  you.  Go ;  and  if  your  daughters  should  re- 
fuse, promise  me  that  you  yourself  will  return  in 
three  months." 

The  tender-hearted  merchant  had  no  thought  of 
letting  any  one  of  his  daughters  die  instead  of  him ; 
but  he  knew  that  if  he  seemed  to  accept  the  beast's 
terms,  he  should  at  least  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
them  once  again.  So  he  gave  the  beast  his  promise ; 
and  the  beast  told  him  he  might  then  set  off  as  soon 
as  he  liked.  "  But,"  said  the  beast,  "  I  do  not  wish 
you  to  go  back  empty-handed.  Go  to  the  room  you 
slept  in,  and  you  will  find  a  chest  there ;  fill  it  with 
just  what  you  like  best,  and  I  will  get  it  taken  to 
your  own  house  for  you."  When  the  beast  had  said 
this,  he  went  away;  and  the  good  merchant  said  to 
himself,  "  If  I  must  die,  yet  I  shall  now  have  the  com- 
fort of  leaving  my  children  some  riches."  He  re- 
turned to  the  room  he  had  slept  in,  and  found  a 
great  many  pieces  of  gold.  He  filled  the  chest  with 
them  to  the  very  brim,  locked  it,  and  mounting  his 
horse,  left  the  palace  as  sorry  as  he  had  been  glad 
when  he  first  found  it.  The  horse  took  a  path 
across  the  forest  of  his  own  accord,  and  in  a  few 
hours  they  reached  the  merchant's  house.  His  chil- 
dren came  running  round  him  as  he  got  off  his 
horse ;  but  the  merchant,  instead  of  kissing  them 
with  joy,  could  not  help  crying  as  he  looked  at  them. 
He  held  in  his  hand  the  bunch  of  roses,  which  he 
gave  to  Beauty,  saying :  "  Take  these  roses,  Beauty ; 
but  little  do  you  think  how  dear  they  have  cost  your 
poor  father;"  and  then  he  gave  them  an  account  of 


Beauty  and  the  Beast  359 

all  that  he  had  seen  or  heard  in  the  palace  of  the 
beast.  The  two  eldest  sisters  now  began  to  shed 
tears,  and  to  lay  the  blame  upon  Beauty,  who  they 
said  would  be  the  cause  of  her  father's  death. 
"  See,"  said  they,  "  what  happens  from  the  pride  of 
the  little  wretch.  Why  did  not  she  ask  for  fine  things 
as  we  did?  But,  to  be  sure,  miss  must  not  be  like 
other  people ;  and  though  she  will  be  the  cause  of 
her  father's  death,  yet  she  does  not  shed  a  tear." 
"  It  would  be  of  no  use,"  replied  Beauty,  "  to  weep 
for  the  death  of  my  father,  for  he  shall  not  die  now. 
As  the  beast  will  accept  of  one  of  his  daughters,  I 
will  give  myself  up  to  him ;  and  think  myself  happy 
in  being  able  at  once  to  save  his  life,  and  prove  my 
love  for  the  best  of  fathers."  "  No,  sister,"  said  the 
three  brothers,  "  you  shall  not  die ;  we  will  go  in 
search  for  this  monster,  and  either  he  or  we  will  per- 
ish." "  Do  not  hope  to  kill  him,"  said  the  mer- 
chant, "  for  his  power  is  far  too  great  for  you  to  be 
able  to  do  any  such  thing.  I  am  charmed  with  the 
kindness  of  Beauty,  but  I  will  not  suffer  her  life  to  be 
lost.  I  myself  am  old,  and  cannot  expect  to  live 
much  longer;  so  I  shall  but  give  up  a  few  years  of 
my  life,  and  shall  only  grieve  for  the  sake  of  my 
children."  "  Never,  father,"  cried  Beauty,  "  shall 
you  go  to  the  palace  without  me ;  for  you  cannot 
hinder  my  going  after  you.  Though  young,  I  am  not 
over  fond  of  life ;  and  I  would  much  rather  be  eaten 
up  by  the  monster,  than  die  of  the  grief  your  loss 
would  give  me."  The  merchant  tried  in  vain  to 
reason  with  Beauty,  for  she  would  go ;  which,  in 
truth,  made  her  two  sisters  glad,  for  they  were  jeal- 
ous of  her,  because  everybody  loved  her. 


360    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

The  merchant  was  so  grieved  at  the  thoughts  of 
losing  his  child,  that  he  never  once  thought  of  the 
chest  filled  with  gold ;  but  at  night,  to  his  great  sur- 
prise, he  found  it  standing  by  his  bedside.  He  said 
nothing  about  his  riches  to  his  eldest  daughters,  for 
he  knew  very  well  it  would  at  once  make  them  want 
to  return  to  town ;  but  he  told  Beauty  his  secret,  and 
she  then  said,  that  while  he  was  away,  two  gentle- 
men had  been  on  a  visit  to  their  cottage,  who  had 
fallen  in  love  with  her  two  sisters.  She  then  begged 
her  father  to  marry  them  without  delay ;  for  she  was 
so  sweet-tempered,  that  she  loved  them  for  all  they 
had  used  her  so  ill,  and  forgave  them  with  all  her 
heart.  When  the  three  months  were  past,  the  mer- 
chant and  Beauty  got  ready  to  set  out  for  the  palace 
of  the  beast.  Upon  this,  the  two  sisters  rubbed  their 
eyes  with  an  onion,  to  make  believe  they  shed  a 
great  many  tears;  but  both  the  merchant  and  his 
sons  cried  in  earnest.  There  was  only  Beauty  who 
did  not,  for  she  thought  that  this  would  only  make 
the  matter  worse.  They  reached  the  palace  in  a  very 
few  hours,  and  the  horse,  without  bidding,  went 
into  the  same  stable  as  before.  The  merchant  and 
Beauty  walked  towards  the  large  hall,  where  they 
found  a  table  covered  with  every  dainty,  and  two 
plates  laid  ready.  The  merchant  had  very  little  ap- 
petite; but  Beauty,  that  she  might  the  better  hide 
her  grief,  placed  herself  at  the  table,  and  helped  her 
father ;  she  then  began  herself  to  eat,  and  thought  all 
the  time  that  to  be  sure  the  beast  had  a  mind  to  fat- 
ten her  before  he  eat  her  up,  as  he  had  got  such  good 
cheer  for  her.  When  they  had  done  their  supper, 
they  heard  a  great  noise,  and  the  good  old  man  be- 


Beauty  and  the  Beast  361 

gan  to  bid  his  poor  child  farewell,  for  he  knew  it 
was  the  beast  coming  to  them.  When  Beauty  first 
saw  his  frightful  form,  she  could  not  help  being 
afraid ;  but  she  tried  to  hide  her  fear  as  much  as  she 
could.  The  beast  asked  her  if  she  had  come  quite 
of  her  own  accord,  and  though  she  was  now  still 
more  afraid  than  before,  she  made  shift  to  say, 
"  Y-e-s."  "  You  are  a  good  girl,  and  I  think  my- 
self very  much  obliged  to  you."  He  then  turned 
towards  her  father,  and  said  to  him,  "  Good  man, 
you  may  leave  the  palace  to-morrow  morning,  and 
take  care  never  to  come  back  to  it  again.  Good 
night.  Beauty."  "  Good  night,  beast,"  said  she ;  and 
then  the  monster  went  out  of  the  room. 

"  Ah !  my  dear  child,"  said  the  merchant,  kissing 
his  daughter,  "  I  am  half  dead  already,  at  the 
thoughts  of  leaving  you  with  this  dreadful  beast; 
you  had  better  go  back,  and  let  me  stay  in  your 
place."  "  No,"  said  Beauty  boldly,  "  I  will  never 
agree  to  that;  you  must  go  home  to-morrow  morn- 
ing." They  then  wished  each  other  good  night,  and 
went  to  bed,  both  of  them  thinking  they  should  not 
be  able  to  close  their  eyes ;  but  as  soon  as  ever  they 
had  laid  down,  they  fell  into  a  deep  sleep,  and  did 
not  wake  till  morning.  Beauty  dreamed  that  a  lady 
came  up  to  her,  who  said,  "  I  am  very  much  pleased, 
Beauty,  with  the  goodness  you  have  shown,  in  being 
willing  to  give  your  life  to  save  that  of  your  father : 
and  it  shall  not  go  without  a  reward."  As  soon  as 
Beauty  awoke,  she  told  her  father  this  dream ;  but 
though  it  gave  him  some  comfort,  he  could  not  take 
leave  of  his  darling  child  without  shedding  many 
tears.    When  the  merchant  got  out  of  sight,  Beauty 


362     Fairy  Tales  Et>ery  Child  Should  Know 

sat  down  in  the  large  hall,  and  began  to  cry  also: 
yet  she  had  a  great  deal  of  courage,  and  so  she  soon 
resolved  not  to  make  her  sad  case  still  worse  by  sor- 
row, which  she  knew  could  not  be  of  any  use  to  her, 
but  to  wait  as  well  as  she  could  till  night,  when  she 
thought  the  beast  would  not  fail  to  come  and  eat  her 
up.  She  walked  about  to  take  a  view  of  all  the 
palace,  and  the  beauty  of  every  part  of  it  much 
charmed  her. 

But  what  was  her  surprise,  when  she  came  to  a 
door  on  which  was  written,  Beauty's  room!  She 
opened  it  in  haste,  and  her  eyes  were  all  at  once  daz- 
zled at  the  grandeur  of  the  inside  of  the  room. 
What  made  her  wonder  more  than  all  the  rest  was, 
a  large  library  filled  with  books,  a  harpsichord,  and 
many  other  pieces  of  music.  "  The  beast  takes  care  I 
shall  not  be  at  a  loss  how  to  amuse  myself,'''  said  she. 
She  then  thought  that  it  was  not  likely  such  things 
would  have  been  got  ready  for  her,  if  she  had  but 
one  day  to  live;  and  began  to  hope  all  would  not 
turn  out  so  bad  as  she  and  her  father  had  feared. 
She  opened  the  library,  and  saw  these  verses  written 
in  letters  of  gold  on  the  back  of  one  of  the  books : 

"  Beauteous  lady,  dry  your  tears, 
Here's  no  cause  for  sighs  or  fears ; 
Command  as  freely  as  you  may, 
Enjoyment  still  shall  mark  your  sway." 

"Alas!"  said  she,  sighing,  "there  is  nothing  I 
so  much  desire  as  to  see  my  poor  father  and  to  know 
what  he  is  doing  at  this  moment."  She  said  this  to 
herself;  but  just  then  by  chance,  she  cast  her  eyes 


Beauty  and  the  Beast  363 

on  a  looking-glass  that  stood  near  her,  and  in  the 
glass  she  saw  her  home,  and  her  father  riding  up 
to  the  cottage  in  the  deepest  sorrow.  Her  sisters 
came  out  to  meet  him,  but  for  all  they  tried  to 
look  sorry,  it  was  easy  to  see  that  in  their  hearts 
they  were  very  glad.  In  a  short  time  all  this  picture 
went  away  out  of  the  glass:  but  Beauty  began  to 
think  that  the  beast  was  very  kind  to  her,  and  that 
she  had  no  need  to  be  afraid  of  him.  About  the 
middle  of  the  day,  she  found  a  table  laid  ready  for 
her;  and  a  sweet  concert  of  music  played  all  the 
time  she  was  eating  her  dinner  without  her  seeing 
a  single  creature.  But  at  supper,  when  she  was  go- 
ing to  seat  herself  at  table,  she  heard  the  noise  of  the 
beast,  and  could  not  help  trembling  with  fear. 
"  Beauty,"  said  he,  "  will  you  give  me  leave  to  see 
you  sup  ?  "  "  That  is  as  you  please,"  answered  she, 
very  much  afraid.  "  Not  in  the  least,"  said  the 
beast ;  "  you  alone  command  in  this  place.  If  you 
should  not  like  my  company,  you  need  only  to  say 
so,  and  I  will  leave  you  that  moment.  But  tell  me, 
Beauty,  do  you  not  think  me  very  ugly  ?  "  "  Why, 
yes,"  9aid  she,  "  for  I  cannot  tell  a  story ;  but  then 
I  think  you  are  very  good."  "  You  are  right,"  re- 
plied the  beast ;  "  and,  besides  being  ugly,  I  am  also 
very  stupid :  I  know  very  well  enough  that  I  am  but 
a  beast." 

"  I  should  think  you  cannot  be  very  stupid,"  said 
Beauty,  "  if  you  yourself  know  this."  "  Pray  do  not 
let  me  hinder  you  from  eating,"  said  he;  "  and  be 
sure  you  do  not  want  for  any  thing ;  for  all  you  see 
is  yours,  and  I  shall  be  vastly  grieved  if  you  are  not 
happy."     "  You  are  very  kind,"  said  Beauty :  "  I 


364    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

must  needs  own  that  I  think  very  well  of  your  good- 
nature, and  then  I  almost  forget  how  ugly  you  are." 
"  Yes,  yes,  I  hope  I  am  good-tempered,"  said  he, 
"  but  still  I  am  a  monster."  "  There  are  many  men 
who  are  worse  monsters  than  you  are,"  replied 
Beauty ;  "  and  I  am  better  pleased  with  you  in  that 
form,  though  it  is  so  ugly,  than  with  those  who 
carry  wicked  hearts  under  the  form  of  a  man."  "  If 
I  had  any  sense,"  said  the  beast,  "  I  would  thank 
you  for  what  you  have  said ;  but  I  am  too  stupid  to 
say  any  thing  that  would  give  you  pleasure."  Beauty 
eat  her  supper  with  a  very  good  appetite,  and  almost 
lost  all  her  dread  of  the  monster ;  but  she  was  ready 
to  sink  with  fright,  when  he  said  to  her,  "  Beauty, 
will  you  be  my  wife  ?  "  For  a  few  minutes  she  was 
not  able  to  speak  a  word,  for  she  was  afraid  of  put- 
ting him  in  a  passion,  by  refusing.  At  length  she 
said,  "  No,  beast."  The  beast  made  no  reply,  but 
sighed  deeply,  and  went  away.  When  Beauty  found 
herself  alone,  she  began  to  feel  pity  for  the  poor 
beast.  "  Dear !  "  said  she,  "  what  a  sad  thing  it  is 
that  he  should  be  so  very  frightful,  since  he  is  so 
good-tempered !  " 

Beauty  lived  three  months  in  this  palace,  very 
well  pleased.  The  beast  came  to  see  her  every 
night,  and  talked  with  her  while  she  supped ;  and 
though  what  he  said  was  not  very  clever,  yet  as  she 
saw  in  him  every  day  some  new  mark  of  his  good- 
ness, so  instead  of  dreading  the  time  of  his  coming, 
she  was  always  looking  at  her  watch,  to  see  if  it  was 
almost  nine  o'clock;  for  that  was  the  time  when  he 
never  failed  to  visit  her.  There  was  but  one  thing 
that  vexed  her;  which  was  that  every  night,  before 


Beauty  ami  the  Beast  365 

the  beast  went  away  from  her,  he  always  made  it  a 
rule  to  ask  her  if  she  would  be  his  wife,  and  seemed 
very  much  grieved  at  her  saying  no.  At  last,  one 
night,  she  said  to  him,  "  You  vex  me  greatly,  beast, 
by  forcing  me  to  refuse  you  so  often ;  I  wish  I  could 
take  such  a  liking  to  you  as  to  agree  to  marry  you, 
but  I  must  tell  you  plainly,  that  I  do  not  think  it  will 
ever  happen.  I  shall  always  be  your  friend ;  so  try 
to  let  that  make  you  easy."  "  I  must  needs  do  so 
then,"  said  the  beast,  "  for  I  know  well  enough  how 
frightful  I  am;  but  I  love  you  better  than  myself. 
Yet  I  think  I  am  very  lucky  in  your  being  pleased  to 
stay  with  me;  now  promise  me,  Beauty,  that  you 
will  never  leave  me."  Beauty  was  quite  struck  when 
he  said  this ;  for  that  very  day  she  had  seen  in  her 
glass  that  her  father  had  fallen  sick  of  grief  for  her 
sake,  and  was  very  ill  for  the  want  of  seeing  her 
again.  "  I  would  promise  you,  with  all  my  heart," 
said  she,  "  never  to  leave  you  quite ;  but  I  long  so 
much  to  see  my  father,  that  if  you  do  not  give  me 
leave  to  visit  him  I  shall  die  with  grief."  "  I  would 
rather  die  myself,  Beauty,"  answered  the  beast, 
"  than  make  you  fret ;  I  will  send  you  to  your 
father's  cottage,  you  shall  stay  there,  and  your  poor 
beast  shall  die  of  sorrow."  "  No,"  said  Beauty,  cry- 
ing, "  I  love  you  too  well  to  be  the  cause  of  your 
death;  I  promise  to  return  in  a  week.  Yon  have 
shown  me  that  my  sisters  are  married,  and  my  broth- 
ers are  gone  for  soldiers,  so  that  my  father  is  left  all 
alone.  Let  me  stay  a  week  with  him."  "  You  shall 
find  yourself  with  him  to-morrow  morning/'  replied 
the  beast ;  "  but  mind,  do  not  forget  your  promise. 
When  you  wish  to  return  you  have  nothing  to  do  but 


366     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

to  put  your  ring  on  a  table  when  you  go  to  bed. 
Good-bye,  Beauty !  "  The  beast  then  sighed  as  he 
said  these  words,  and  Beauty  went  to  bed  very  sorry 
to  see  him  so  much  grieved.  When  she  awoke  in  the 
morning,  she  found  herself  in  her  father's  cottage. 
She  rung  a  bell  that  was  at  her  bedside,  and  a  ser- 
vant entered ;  but  as  soon  as  she  saw  Beauty,  the 
woman  gave  a  loud  shriek;  upon  which  the  mer- 
chant ran  up  stairs,  and  when  he  beheld  his  daugh- 
ter he  was  ready  to  die  of  joy.  He  ran  to  the  bed- 
side, and  kissed  her  a  hundred  times.  At  last 
Beauty  began  to  remember  that  she  had  brought  no 
clothes  with  her  to  put  on ;  but  the  servant  told  her 
she  had  just  found  in  the  next  room  a  large  chest 
full  of  dresses,  trimmed  all  over  with  gold,  and 
adorned  with  pearls  and  diamonds. 

Beauty  in  her  own  mind  thanked  the  beast  for  his 
kindness,  and  put  on  the  plainest  gown  she  could 
find  among  them  all.  She  then  told  the  servant  to 
put  the  rest  away  with  a  great  deal  of  care,  for  she 
intended  to  give  them  to  her  sisters ;  but  as  soon  as 
she  had  spoken  these  words  the  chest  was  gone  out 
of  sight  in  a  moment.  Her  father  then  said,  per- 
haps the  beast  chose  for  her  to  keep  them  all  for  her- 
self;  and  as  soon  as  he  had  said  this,  they  saw  the 
chest  standing  again  in  the  same  place.  While  Beauty 
was  dressing  herself,  a  servant  brought  word  to 
her  that  her  sisters  were  come  with  their  husbands  to 
pay  her  a  visit.  They  both  lived  unhappily  with  the 
gentlemen  they  had  married.  The  husband  of  the 
eldest  was  very  handsome ;  but  was  so  very  proud 
of  this,  that  he  thought  of  nothing  else  from  morn- 
ing till  night,  and  did  not  attend  to  the  beauty  of  his 


Beauty  and  the  Beast  367 

wife.  The  second  had  married  a  man  of  great  learn- 
ing ;  but  he  made  no  use  of  it,  only  to  torment  and 
affront  all  his  friends,  and  his  wife  more  than  any 
of  them.  The  two  sisters  were  ready  to  burst  with 
spite  when  they  saw  Beauty  dressed  like  a  princess, 
and  look  so  very  charming.  All  the  kindness  that 
she  showed  them  was  of  no  use ;  for  they  were 
vexed  more  than  ever,  when  she  told  them  how 
happy  she  lived  at  the  palace  of  the  beast.  The 
spiteful  creatures  went  by  themselves  into  the  gar- 
den, where  they  cried  to  think  of  her  good  fortune. 
"  Why  should  the  little  wretch  be  better  off  than 
we  ?  "  said  they.  "  We  are  much  handsomer  than 
she  is."  "  Sister,"  said  the  eldest,  "  a  thought  has 
just  come  into  my  head :  let  us  try  to  keep  her  here 
longer  than  the  week  that  the  beast  gave  her  leave 
for :  and  then  he  will  be  so  angry,  that  perhaps  he 
will  eat  her  up  in  a  moment."  "  That  is  well  thought 
of,"  answered  the  other,  "  but  to  do  this  we  must 
seem  very  kind  to  her."  They  then  made  up  their 
minds  to  be  so,  and  went  to  join  her  in  the  cottage : 
where  they  showed  her  so  much  false  love,  that 
Beauty  could  not  help  crying  for  joy. 

When  the  week  was  ended,  the  two  sisters  began 
to  pretend  so  much  grief  at  the  thoughts  of  her 
leaving  them,  that  she  agreed  to  stay  a  week  more ; 
but  all  that  time  Beauty  could  not  help  fretting  for 
the  sorrow  that  she  knew  her  staying  would  give  her 
poor  beast;  for  she  tenderly  loved  him,  and  much 
wished  for  his  company  again.  The  tenth  night  of 
her  being  at  the  cottage  she  dreamed  she  was  in  the 
garden  of  the  palace,  and  that  the  beast  lay  dying 
on  a  grass  plot,  and,  with  his  last  breath,  put  her 


368     Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

in  mind  of  her  promise,  and  laid  his  death  to  her 
keeping  away  from  him.  Beauty  awoke  in  a  great 
fright,  and  burst  into  tears.  "  Am  not  I  wicked," 
said  she,  "  to  behave  so  ill  to  a  beast  who  has  shown 
me  so  much  kindness ;  why  will  I  not  marry  him  ? 
I  am  sure  I  should  be  more  happy  with  him  than  my 
sisters  are  with  their  husbands.  He  shall  not  be 
wretched  any  longer  on  my  account;  for  I  should 
do  nothing  but  blame  myself  all  the  rest  of  my  life." 
She  then  rose,  put  her  ring  on  the  table,  got  into 
bed  again,  and  soon  fell  asleep.  In  the  morning  she 
with  joy  found  herself  in  the  palace  of  the  beast. 
She  dressed  herself  very  finely,  that  she  might  please 
him  the  better,  and  thought  she  had  never  known  a 
day  pass  away  so  slow.  At  last  the  clock  struck  nine, 
but  the  beast  did  not  come.  Beauty  then  thought  to 
be  sure  she  had  been  the  cause  of  his  death  in  earnest. 
She  ran  from  room  to  room  all  over  the  palace, 
calling  out  his  name,  but  still  she  saw  nothing  of 
him.  After  looking  for  him  a  long  time,  she  thought 
of  her  dream,  and  ran  directly  towards  the  grass 
plot ;  and  there  she  found  the  poor  beast  lying  sense- 
less and  seeming  dead.  She  threw  herself  upon  his 
body,  thinking  nothing  at  all  of  his  ugliness;  and 
finding  his  heart  still  beat,  she  ran  and  fetched 
some  water  from  a  pond  in  the  garden,  and  threw  it 
on  his  face.  The  beast  then  opened  his  eyes,  and 
said :  "  You  have  forgot  your  promise,  Beauty.  My 
grief  for  the  loss  of  you  has  made  me  resolve  to 
starve  myself  to  death ;  but  I  shall  die  content,  since 
I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  once  more." 
"  No,  dear  beast,"  replied  Beauty,  "  you  shall  not 
die ;  you  shall  live  to  be  my  husband :  from  this  mo- 


Beauty  and  the  Beast  369 

ment  I  offer  to  marry  you,  and  will  be  only  yours. 
Oh !  I  thought  I  felt  only  friendship  for  you ;  but  the 
pain  I  now  feel,  shows  me  that  I  could  not  live  with- 
out seeing  you." 

The  moment  Beauty  had  spoken  these  words,  the 
palace  was  suddenly  lighted  up,  and  music,  fire- 
works, and  all  kinds  of  rejoicings,  appeared  round 
about  them.  Yet  Beauty  took  no  notice  of  all  this, 
but  watched  over  her  dear  beast  with  the  greatest 
tenderness.  But  now  she  was  all  at  once  amazed 
to  see  at  her  feet,  instead  of  her  poor  beast,  the 
handsomest  prince  that  ever  was  seen,  who  thanked 
her  most  warmly  for  having  broken  his  enchant- 
ment. Though  this  young  prince  deserved  all  her 
notice,  she  could  not  help  asking  him  what  was  be- 
come of  the  beast.  "  You  see  him  at  your  feet, 
Beauty,"  answered  the  prince,  "  for  I  am  he.  A 
wicked  fairy  had  condemned  me  to  keep  the  form  of 
a  beast  till  a  beautiful  young  lady  should  agree  to 
marry  me,  and  ordered  me,  on  pain  of  death,  not  to 
show  that  I  had  any  sense.  You,  alone,  dearest 
Beauty,  have  kindly  judged  of  me  by  the  goodness 
of  my  heart;  and  in  return  I  offer  you  my  hand  and 
my  crown,  though  I  know  the  reward  is  much  less 
than  what  I  owe  you."  Beauty,  in  the  most  pleasing 
surprise,  helped  the  prince  to  rise,  and  they  walked 
along  to  the  palace,  when  her  wonder  was  very 
great  to  find  her  father  and  sisters  there,  who  had 
been  brought  by  the  lady  Beauty  had  seen  in  her 
dream.  "Beauty,"  said  the  lady  (for  she  was  a 
fairy),  "  receive  the  reward  of  the  choice  you  have 
made.  You  have  chosen  goodness  of  heart  rather 
than  sense  and  beauty ;  therefore  you  deserve  to  find 


t 
370    Fairy  Tales  Every  Child  Should  Know 

them  all  three  joined  in  the  same  person.  You  are 
going  to  be  a  great  Queen :  I  hope  a  crown  will  not 
destroy  your  virtue." 

"  As  for  you,  ladies,"  said  the  fairy  to  the  other 
two  sisters,  "  I  have  long  known  the  malice  of  your 
hearts,  and  the  wrongs  you  have  done.  You  shall 
become  two  statues;  but  under  that  form  you  shall 
still  keep  your  reason,  and  shall  be  fixed  at  the  gates 
of  your  sister's  palace ;  and  I  will  not  pass  any  worse 
sentence  on  you  than  to  see  her  happy.  You  will 
never  appear  in  your  own  persons  again  till  you  are 
fully  cured  of  your  faults ;  and  to  tell  the  truth,  I  am 
very  much  afraid  you  will  remain  statues  for  ever." 

At  the  same  moment,  the  fairy,  with  a  stroke  of 
her  wand,  removed  all  who  were  present  to  the 
young  prince's  country,  where  he  was  received  with 
the  greatest  joy  by  his  subjects.  He  married  Beauty, 
and  passed  a  long  and  happy  life  with  her,  because 
they  still  kept  in  the  same  course  of  goodness  from 
which  they  had  never  departed. 


THE  COUNTRY  UJE  PRESS,  GARDEN  CITY,  N.  Y. 


